


The Harem King

by Carrispagz, Tiggerluvme



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood and Gore, Consensual Sex, Dark Magic, Death, Demons, Dragons, Drow, Druids, Drunk Sex, Elves, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Harpies, Historical Fantasy, Human, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Magical Tattoos, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Oral Sex, Other, Pirates, Rough Sex, Royalty, Sex, Shadar-Kai, Sirens, Sorceresses, Swords & Sorcery, Threesome - F/F/M, Vaginal Sex, Vikings, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:13:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 62,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23826658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carrispagz/pseuds/Carrispagz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiggerluvme/pseuds/Tiggerluvme
Summary: Jaxon, a young, hard working blacksmith, is the bastard son of King Geoffrey Coventry, who is now the last of his bloodline alive. Jaxon must prove himself as a capable King able to run his own Kingdom as well as everyone else that allies with him. However, he has dark magic coursing through his veins that is mixed with the Coventry magic he has inherited. It's a constant battle between keeping his sanity and succumbing to the darkness within, though, if he secures his bloodline and fathers many children, this darkness could be diluted and his sanity in tact. Jaxon's solution? A harem of beautiful consorts of all different races to secure his bloodline and help keep his sanity in check, otherwise, the world as they know it will surely perish under a powerful demonic magic the world has never seen. He must seek out allies and willing women to assist him in his endeavor as well as work hard to keep the demonic forces at bay and out of the world. Only time will tell if this King will be able to prove his worth or if he will succumb to the darkness and give in to the demonic forces that plague the world.
Relationships: Jaxon/multiple women
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	1. The Beginning

_People hear the words King and for most, they immediately think of someone like King Arthur. A wholesome, good natured person who is always willing to jump head-first into danger to save his people; what one would call a true hero. If not kings like King Arthur and his pure hearted personality, there are always evil, tyrant kings. Kings who ruled with iron fists and no mercy. Kings such as Caligula or Henry the Eighth. However, how often is it that people truly remember a King who falls in the middle of the scale? One who is neither pure of heart nor is he evil? Where does one find the balance that he doesn’t tip the scales one way or the other?_

Chaos could barely start to describe the scene at the castle that morning. The King’s advisor Alston, his face aged by the constant caretaking of the King, placed a hand over his mouth in disgust, forcing himself to hold back the threat of vomit. His already pale and wrinkled skin paled even further at the sight that beheld him, for nothing could have prepared him for that moment. The King, sickly in his age and weathered appearance was slumped over the dining table, his face turning different hues of purple. There was no doubt that he was dead and the rest of his family, the queen, the young princess and the only son, the same shades of purple and slumped over their half-eaten breakfasts mimicking their King.  
How could this have happened? Right under his nose; this apparent vendetta someone had against the King, how could he, Alston, the King’s most trusted advisor, not have seen this coming? A hand gripped Alston’s shoulder forcing the old man to turn in time to catch the King’s squire hurl his insides to the floor. The young boy was also not prepared for the sight that beheld the two, and though he was young, barely a man, the squire was still green to many things. Alston wracked his brain thoroughly as he thought about his next move. The entire royal family, dead before his eyes, and where would the kingdom turn now? 

“Things like this are quite a shame, are they not?” The quiet and smooth voice of the sorceress behind Alston startled him, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. The sorceress, far older than the advisor himself but with the beauty and forever youth that the world had bestowed her, stepped forward, practically gliding as she peered down at the table. Contempt washed her tanned face as her eyes darted around at the bodies of her employer and his family. Her silky straight black hair barely moved as she leaned closely, lifting one of the plates to her nose and taking a long deep breath.

“Don’t tell me…” Alston’s stomach twisted nervously. “Please tell me it’s not poison…” The sorceress set the plate delicately back onto the table, turning her young face and wisdom filled gold eyes back to the old man who peered nervously. 

“Whoever poisoned them used quite a subtle concoction. I daresay, they may even be experienced in the delicate art that is poison.” She glanced at the squire who had run as fast as his legs could to the King’s dining hall to deliver his message unto, the awaiting King, however, his words were gone as he tried to digest the sight in front of him. “Dear boy, do us a favor and spit it out, and please not the vomit.” The boy panted, glancing between the advisor and the sorceress, sweat beading his brow and his eyes continuously finding their way back to the King’s wide-eyed corpse. 

“I…I um….” The sorceress growled, flicking a slender finger in the boy’s direction and chanting a quick spell. Whatever it was, the boy immediately began speaking, quickly and clearly, as if he suddenly was hyper focused. “The armies to the south are gaining ground. They will be here in a fortnight and as far as the General can tell, there’s an estimated 20,000 not including their renowned sorcerer, Rhayne, who it’s said has the strength of 100,000!” The sorceress rolled her eyes, waving the boy along. He did not question her, not hesitating to turn and run from the room. 

“Alston…we need to get a King on the throne.” The advisor nodded, rubbing his chin. Should he? Did the sorceress already know? He glanced to her golden eyes; the eyes that bore deep into the depths of his soul. If she didn’t know, she did now, he was sure of it. 

“We need to gather…them. The five.” The sorceress narrowed her eyes, understanding immediately the advisor’s meaning. She nodded, stepping quickly past the advisor, determined to do what she could to fix this situation before all hell broke loose. Alston took one last glance at the table, nodding to the blank stare from the King’s dead eyes. It will be done; the realm will stay safe. 

The heat from the forge felt as if hell itself was exposed to the boy’s face. Sweat poured down his tanned, dirty face as he moved the red-hot billet from the flame, pulling quickly to the anvil where he slammed his hammer down in quick but steady motions. His affinity to learn quickly was a blessing for his father, the boy drawing out the billet with ease before sending it back into the flame to heat back up. Only a trained blacksmith would know the delicate patience needed to forge a weapon. If he rushed the process, the whole weapon would be utterly worthless and more than likely crack. If he took too long and let the billet cool while he worked, it would surely break. Back and forth from the forge to the anvil for hours on end meant a blade that he could be proud of. It would take much longer than a day to forge a practical and useful blade, but the beginnings were everything for the boy. This was the time he took to release every ounce of aggression onto that billet. 

His silver eyes glanced up through his furrowed brow over to his father. At 5’11, he felt fairly tall among the rest of the common folk, however, next to his father, he was a runt. The burly blacksmith with long, raggedy black hair and a matching beard stood at nearly 6’7 and towered everyone he came into contact with. He was a monster in human skin, but only by looks. Underneath the boulders for arms and terrifying scowl, the blacksmith was loving man. He was patient, loving, and understanding; there was never a time the man didn’t thoroughly explain something if the boy didn’t understand or if he needed help, his father always right there ready. How on the Gods’ green earth did the boy turn out so different from his father? A sarcastic smirk played across his lips as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

“You know old man; you should give up and just hand over the business. This blade’s gonna be the one to put this place on the map!” The man’s laugh bellowed through the forge; the boy nearly convinced he shook the forge’s foundation just from the laugh.  
“Jaxon, my boy, I’ll die before I let you take over yet.” Jaxon sighed, wiping the towel through his dark, messy short hair, messing it up even worse. “You still have much to learn.” 

“Yea, whatever.” Jaxon rolled his eyes, though the smirk still stayed on his face. His father was right, but he loved to poke fun. The hours in the forge passed quickly, and before the two men knew it, darkness had set over the house.

“Come, we still have left over lamb stew we need to eat.” His father beckoned him, throwing his tools to the side and shutting down the forge. The men strolled up the hill to the small cottage, opening the door to the darkness inside. Every time he opened the door, the pain from losing his mother and sister to the plague that draught the land in the passing years stung through his chest like every blade he made; sharp and able to pierce deep. His father had to have felt even worse. The sight of the two sick in bed, gasping for breath as they wheezed and coughed up blood while puss filled pockets popped along their skin. How did only they survive? Jaxon had no idea; in all rights, they should be deep in the earth with his mother and sister, but he pressed on by his father’s side, solely to afford dinner for the following evening. 

His father lost all motivation. There was a time where he was a well-known blacksmith in the village, crafting blades quicker and better than even the King’s own, and yet, with the passing of his family came the demise of his profession. He would only sell a blade once in a month if he was lucky enough. That meant things like new clothes, or tools, or even luxuries like decent mead were gone. They fixed their own things, made their own clothes, maintained what they could and only spent what was needed on food and the taxes for the kingdom. 

Jaxon slumped in the chair, leaning forward and lighting the candle at the table. There was no personal space in the house anymore. After his mother and sister passed, the part of the cottage that had the room was torn down and burned to rid of the disease. Now, the small cottage consisted of a small stove, a table with two chairs and two plots on the floor where the two men slept. There were no beds, no personal items- since his father burned anything that related to the memory of his family along with everything else- it was as if he wanted nothing to worry for anymore. He wanted to work all day, come home and sleep, nothing in between. He didn’t even interact with customers at the market anymore, usually sitting in his chair cleaning the blades. Jaxon had to try and sell every blade, which wasn’t many, as his father took extra care to make his blades. It was as if he did it on purpose, to ensure he didn’t get back items of sentiment, to learn to enjoy life again. He wanted to be miserable.

Jaxon sipped down the last of the bone broth in the bowl, the small portion not nearly enough to satiate the hunger that still ravaged his stomach. His father snored loudly from his pile of blankets on the floor. How the old man could sleep soundly like that baffled Jaxon. He sighed, standing up from the small table and stepping out into the brisk air. The stars and the moon brightened the sky making it easy to see his way as he walked toward the village. In times like this, which were often enough, he knew exactly where to go.

“By the Gods, why again?” The woman groaned, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders tightly. Her aged eyes tightening and her hair messily falling from the bun on her head. “Come on you little beggar.” She groaned, beckoning the lad inside. The Inn was still open, as it always was but the dining area was dead as it was late, and most people were asleep in the upper rooms. Jaxon sat patiently at one of the tables as the older woman shuffled into the kitchen, appearing moments later with the left-over dinner scraps of half eaten breads and cheeses, and even some mead. 

“You are an angel.” He sighed happily digging in, not even caring that other people ate from these pieces. 

“You’re going to wither away if you don’t start farming on that land of yours. A least get some chickens, boy.” The woman watched intently with exhausted eyes as he stuffed his face. 

“I can’t even afford bread, what makes you think I can buy a damn chicken?” He gulped down the mead, the liquid forcing down the bread that sat like a rock in his chest, finally giving him reprieve to continue eating.  
“It’s been 8 years Jaxon; you boys need to start taking care of yourselves.” Had it already been so long? It still felt like it was yesterday when they had passed, and yet…here he sat in his early 20s; a man, not the young boy he was when they passed. “Speaking of, have you even bathed since then?” He smirked, glancing over the soot and ash that covered his arms. 

“To be honest, I have no idea how long it’s been.” The woman rolled her eyes, beckoning him to his feet before leading him up the stairs of the inn. They stopped in front of a room before she pulled a set of keys from her dress pocket and unlocked the door. 

“Take a bath damn you and get some sleep.” She pointed in at the wooden tub filled with the cool water and the bed that was pushed against the wall. “I’ll put it on your never-ending tab.” She sighed, making him chuckle.

“Thanks Ms. S.” She nodded waving him off as she walked back down the stairs to clean up from his dinner. Even cold, the water was nice against his skin as he eased into it. The dirt from his skin floating immediately to the surface of the water, tinting the rest a dull grey the longer he sat. He grabbed the bar of soap, scrubbing at his head and everything else, dunking under to rinse what could easily be months’ worth of dirt from his skin. He gasped as he came back up for air, stepping out of the bath into the cold air and immediately landing in the bed. A bed, for once. The smile that crossed his face couldn’t be stopped as he felt like King of the world in a bed of his own, even if it was only for one night. 

The next morning, if you could even call it that as it was nearing the afternoon, the heat of the sun finally washed across Jaxon’s drooling face. The comfort of this bed, the warmth of the sun and the humming of the busy tavern below made him want to stay forever. He couldn’t though and thus, he forced himself to his feet, noticing his clothes were folded on the nearby bench. Ms. S must’ve cleaned them while he slept. He smiled, missing the small things he took for granted when his mother was alive. The fresh laundered clothes, homecooked meals, all of it. He dressed quickly, half running down the stairs as the tired innkeeper met him right at the bottom with a few bread rolls and some cheese in a bag. 

“Feed your father, boy.” She smiled patting his head. “God knows the poor man needs more meat on them bones to be blacksmithing.” Jaxon smiled and thanked her. She was the only person in the town who was this kind to him, let alone kind in general. Not for nothing, he wasn’t always nice either; constantly fighting or getting chased off for running his mouth or taking what wasn’t his. It was the life of poverty though and it was the only way unless a miracle happened. 

His feet carried him through the streets of the small village quickly. Everyone here knew everyone, there were no secrets and no matter what you did, it spread quickly. This was a village meant for travelers, passing by for moments at a time. The Inn was the center of it all, and everyone gathered accordingly around it, working hard to get even an ounce of attention from a passerby. He made his way out of the village and to the edge of the small civilization right to the forge, where he knew his father worked tirelessly. 

“You’re late, boy.” He growled, not looking up from his work. 

“Ms. S sends her regards.” Jaxon set the bag down on his father’s workbench before getting ready for work himself. 

“Stop seeking charity from everyone else. We’re fine.” The proud man groaned, though he didn’t hesitate to take out a roll and begin eating; he definitely didn’t eat anything for breakfast. 

“I’m not seeking charity; I’m seeking a bath and actual food. I’m not going to deny her help just because you’re too prideful.” 

“So, then everyone gets to see me as the struggling father who can’t even feed his kid, that it boy?” Jaxon sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. 

“Dad, I didn’t mean…”

“No, go home. I don’t need your help today. Go find more charity to take.” He couldn’t believe his ears. His father was so damn prideful and ashamed that he couldn’t just accept anything from anyone. He turned away free livestock because the woman who wanted to give it to him felt he needed it more than she. That could’ve been milk, cheese, hell a month’s worth of meat, and yet the old man snubbed her. Jaxon growled.

“Quit being so fucking down and out and refusing help. If people are willing to give it, take it.” The old man said nothing, just kept his back to Jaxon in a stubborn attempt to rid of him. 

“Excuse me, I hope we’re not interrupting.” A voice sounded from behind Jaxon, making him turn in surprise. A face as beautiful to match the voice greeted him with a small smile. Her yellow eyes fixated on his made his skin tingle. 

“Not at all ma’am, how can we help?” His father stepped forward while wiping his hands on his rag. 

“Well you see…I am Valona, the King’s sorceress…” She began. Jaxon’s father’s face fell and from the looks of it, paled quite a few shades. “There’s been an incident. Can we talk?” She beckoned towards their cottage; Jaxon curiously glancing to his father who refused to look at him. 

“Of course,” His father’s voice was low, like he was dreading what would happen next.

“Dad?” Jaxon questioned but his father waved him down. Now’s not the time and now he would just listen from here. They followed the beautiful woman to the cottage, her presence more intimidating than he would’ve liked to admit. There were two others to greet them as they arrived, an older man, not quite elderly but pushing the point, dressed in blue and dark gold robes. Beside him was a giant, clad in armor. He wasn’t really a giant, but he definitely stood toe to toe with Jaxon’s father; the mean, scarred face told tales of gruesome battles without him even needing to hear it. The woman allowed Jaxon and his father to step first into the cottage, though only the elder man joined them with the woman inside, the soldier standing guard at the door. Whatever she had to talk about must’ve been important. 

“Have you told him yet?” The woman glanced to his father, seating herself at the small table in the house; the elder man standing slightly behind her. She crossed her legs, her silken dress adjusting as she moved, and Jaxon couldn’t help but be captivated by her as every second passed. His father sat at the other chair; head sunk low as he scratched the back of his neck.

“No…he has no idea.” The woman made a small ‘hmph’ sound, though she kept her small smile as she caught the staring eyes of Jaxon. 

“Well then, this is going to be fun.” She smiled, resting her arm on the table casually. “You see, we have a dilemma, our King has tragically passed away.” 

“Good riddance.” Jaxon murmured catching a small giggle out of the sorceress. 

“True, his popularity was certainly not his strong point. However, the problem is, the entire succession line was murdered, as well as the King himself. I guess, if you want to say, he got what he deserved?” The sorceress smirked at a confused Jaxon.  
“What does any of this have to do with us?” Jaxon questioned, staring over to his father who still did not look up from the floor. “Dad?” 

“You are the last of the succession dear boy.” Her small smile widened into a smirk. Jaxon nearly started laughing, a grin now formed on his face as he stifled the laugh. She couldn’t be serious. 

“That’s funny. Why are you really here?” Her silence made him nervous as he stared between her and his father.

“If I may…” The elder man spoke, nodding graciously at Jaxon. “I am the King’s Royal Advisor, Alston. If we weren’t serious, lad, we would certainly not be here wasting our time.” Jaxon’s face dropped as his father still had not acknowledged any of it. “You see, you are the bastard son of the King, and not a soul but the people in this room and a handful of others knew. You were sent here to who you believe to be your father, to be raised for a time such as this. You have no blood relation to the man that sits across from you. Your only blood relations have just lost their lives and you are all that is left that is standing between this kingdom’s collapse and the people ready to bring it about.”

Jaxon stared completely stunned. How could this be true? The son of the King? He didn’t even like the King; the man was a tyrant, raised taxes to an economic breaking point, and took little to no care of anyone besides himself. The cottage stayed quiet as Jaxon’s brows began to furrow in frustration.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He spoke quietly, glaring at his father…no not his father. The blacksmith. The man said nothing, just continued to stare at the floor of the cottage. “ANSWER ME DAMNIT!” Jaxon yelled, praying for him to acknowledge him. 

“I wanted you to grow up with an appreciation for what you had, not what you could have. I wanted you to know poverty and understand that it’s your own two hands that make your future. I wanted you to see the people around you and know their hardships so one day you might be able to change everything for the better and not take it all for your own like that no good bastard has done.” He glared over at the sorceress. “What these people told you is the truth; I am not your father and your mother was not yours as well. I was the King’s blacksmith, forging the best blades for him and his men and he knew your moth…er…” the blacksmith coughed, “…and I struggled to have a child…for many years…” He stared to the side now embarrassed. “You were a gift with a string attached. Our luck charm because years later, Mila was born. I am truly sorry we never told you.” 

Jaxon could barely swallow all of this down, and yet as he wracked his brain, he knew it all to be true. They may not have realized it, but hints were dropped numerous times throughout his childhood and because he thought he knew who he was his whole life, it was all things he never thought to question. He stared at the floor now, just trying to grasp the severity of the situation in front of him. 

“I would love to continue sitting here in silence, but we have a kingdom without a King on the throne, I would daresay we are pressed for time.” The sorceress spoke up finally, tapping a slender finger on the table. Jaxon nodded, a nervous pang hitting his stomach. 

“I guess I have to go then…” He murmured looking over at the blacksmith who matched his gaze finally. “I guess I have something else to do today anyway…” He tried to lighten the mood, thankfully catching a smirk from the blacksmith. 

“Yea, go run the kingdom, just don’t run it into the ground any further.” The blacksmith smiled, standing up and patting Jaxon on the shoulder. “Jaxon, with everything in me, I hope you don’t forget where you really come from. This will always be your home.” Jaxon nodded, patting the man’s arm before turning and following the advisor and sorceress out the door. He waved his goodbye, following the three to a carriage parked some distance away. 

“Come, Jaxon,” The sorceress finally acknowledged his name; she must not have known it before. “Time for you to see your new home.” 

Intense couldn’t begin to describe the ride to the castle. It was about an hour of awkward silence and everyone avoiding each other’s gazes. Jaxon could only stare at his clasped hands in his lap between stealing glances at the stunning sorceress seated across from him. Her black silken dress clung to her skin, as if it was desperate not to let go, but not unflattering in the least. It was trimmed with gold detailing, a clear sign of her status. Her yellow eyes were almost glowing from the darkened makeup around her eyes and her black shiny hair fell in gentle curls that bounced at the slightest bumps in the road. His silver eyes caught hers a few times, though her expressionless face made it hard to determine anything going on in her mind.  
For all he knew, each of the three people who showed up to his house wanted nothing to do with him. Hell, he could even be on his way to his death for being the supposed bastard son of the King. The thought still blew his mind, yet these people seem to think it was true. If this was true, then his life was about to change in ways he couldn’t image, but the gnawing in the pit of his stomach made him question whether this was the right decision. He left all too abruptly from his life in poverty and told a wild fairy tale, he was sure of it. 

The carriage entered the city and Jaxon peered slightly out the window, the curtains blocking the majority of the view. People stopped and stared at the carriage, not caring for the everyday to-do life in front of them, no, they saw the royal crest and embroidery along the carriage doors, and it made Jaxon realize his fate a little more. If the King really was his father, then someone here in this town legitimately killed his entire family line in order to rid the kingdom of tyranny. This was definitely something to fear; since as far as anyone in this kingdom knew, the succession line was wiped out for good. Not to mention, how was he going to prove he was the son of the King? He’d never met the man in his life and yet people are just going to have to believe that he’s the heir? Not a chance. His fate was looking grim as the minutes passed.

The castle was massive, and Jaxon couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d never been this close to the city limits let alone to the castle. The carriage pulled to a stop and the other two men exited first, the sorceress making it a point that he would be last out. A nervous pang hit his stomach as he waited to exit the carriage. What was he to walk into? He stepped out slowly, his eyes adjusting to the scene before him. A line of servants and maids stood heading to the door, each of their heads bowed and not one even peaking a glance his way. The sorceress, the advisor and the guard stood beside the carriage and quite a few gentlemen, nobles from the looks of it, stood a few feet away from the carriage, watching with less than joyous expressions.  
Jaxon’s expression didn’t waver, as he refused to let any single one of these people look down on him in any way. His steel cold glare forced a few of the men to look away as he stood in front of the carriage before glancing at the sorceress’s pleased expression. He must be acting the way she wanted as she stepped forward, lacing her arm through his and guiding him towards the door. The servants bowed deep and the maids curtsied, still none of them looking up at him at all. He glanced sideways at the sorceress, curious, but she kept her composure. None of this phased her in the least, and nor should it since she was completely used to this. He took a page from her book and walked confidently through the castle doors into the main corridor before she stopped him. 

“Annette, if you would please…” she beckoned an aged, slender woman from the side who stepped forward, her eyes not meeting either of theirs. The woman wore a pursed expression, her lips wrinkling slightly. Her greying hair tied back in an almost intricate up do, but not nearly as fancy as someone in court would wear. She bowed at Jaxon, still not looking him in the eyes. 

“Please, sir, follow me to your quarters.” Jaxon glanced at the sorceress who nodded and smiled, half pushing him down the hall. “You will have a bath and we will have you measured for your attire. Hopefully we can find you something suitable in your size for the time being…” She walked with an immense amount of grace and a presence that commanded the utmost respect. As she faced away from him, her head was held high, as if she was untouchable. A trait which Jaxon began to admire in the woman as even the staff inside bowed and greeted the woman. As they neared yet a new corridor, up on the second floor, the woman scoffed angrily at the sight in front of them. A young maid hurried out from one of the heavy wooden and iron doors, completely fumbling everything in her arms, dropping a few things to the floor. She cursed to herself, scrambling to pick up whatever it was that she dropped. She let out a squeal as she glanced up, noticing Annette and Jaxon closing the distance. Fear struck the poor girl and Jaxon was sure she was about to faint. 

“What on earth are you doing you clumsy idiot?” Annette scolded the girl who blushed crimson red staring down at her feet in utter fear. 

“I’m sorry Madame, I was trying to finish before they got here…” She was cut off by another scoff accompanied by a dramatic eyeroll of the woman. 

“Don’t bother with stupid excuses. You embarrass this staff in front of our new King with your incompetence.” Jaxon felt more uncomfortable the more the woman scolded the girl, finally sighing loudly and stepping toward the girl. She froze, staring in utter shock as Jaxon bent down and picked up the old books and trinkets she had dropped to the floor before turning to her. Her eyes caught his finally and she couldn’t look away, though her expression completely mortified. 

“Look, I’m not embarrassed, shit happens, right?” He didn’t think the girl’s shocked expression could look any more dramatic, though he stood corrected as her mouth dropped to the floor. “Where do these go, I’ll help you.”

“My Lord, please do not burden yourself with such petty household issues. We will fire her immediately and find someone more capable…” Jaxon laughed loudly, startling the old woman and the young maid before shaking his head.

“I don’t think you heard me well enough. This is not an issue, and since I am apparently the new King, she will not be fired. Treat the poor girl with some human decency you old coot.” It was Annette’s turn to stare in shock at the insolence and audacity of the new King, though she held her tongue. It took everything in the young maid’s body to stifle the laugh that threatened to jump out. “Now, where do these go?” He turned back to the girl and smiled.

“I’ll take those, your majesty.” A young servant boy bowed deeply at Jaxon, coming practically out of nowhere and taking the items from his hands quickly. “Beg your pardon, sir…” The boy glanced at the girl who immediately regained her composure and bowed at Jaxon as well. He nodded and waved the two off, allowing them to do their jobs without anymore fuss. He glanced at the old, very displeased woman who worked quite hard at keeping a calm expression on her face. “My apologies lady but relax a little bit.” The lady said nothing, only bowed her head slightly before leading the way again to his quarters, which happened to be the same room the young maid burst from. 

As soon as he entered, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He was in heaven at first sight, from the four-poster canopy bed made neatly with more pillows than he’d ever use, the giant windows that opened up to a balcony for him to stand on, large wardrobes that would hold all of his clothes, and just the sheer amount of space within the room was more than he could handle. It was essentially bigger than his entire cottage he had lived in his whole life by nearly double. A room divider stood off to the right of the room, a large bath hidden away out of sight, not like the small bath in the inn that sat dead center in the middle of the room. He nearly bound for the bed, his inner voice finally coercing him out of acting like a kid until the old crone left.

“Your bath is already drawn, and we will have clothes ready for you as soon as we can. Until then, there are robes on a stool beside the bath for you to wear. If you need anything at all…” She stepped beside a large, yet decorative looking rope beside the bed. “Please pull on this and we will be notified in the servants’ quarters.” 

“Thanks!” Jaxon smiled wide, waiting for the old woman to leave to room before practically running and undressing, jumping into the bath causing water to splash all over the floor. The water was still quite hot, but he didn’t care, it was far to exciting. He grabbed all the apothecary looking jars on an adjacent bench, staring at each one. Lavender, ginger, pine…oils…soap, all sorts of things. He dumped the pine oil, gasping at the incredible scent that filled his nostrils. His bath smelled of the forest and that was all it took; he was never going to leave. He messed with the numerous jars of soap and oils until the bath ran cold, which easily took an eternity. Jaxon finally sighed, smelling of his forest-like bath as he stepped from the cool water, grabbing the robe off the stool and throwing it around himself. 

He had all this time to himself and had no idea what he should be doing, so he began to rummage through everything. The numerous wardrobes, the nightstands, the dressers, the small desk he hadn’t noticed before, and the trunks. So many random things rich people owned to keep their possessions. Nothing of interest in any of the many drawers and doors that surrounded him other than a couple extra pillows, some linens and blank papers and ink in the desk. He sighed, jumping up onto the bed, sitting propped up against the many pillows and staring out at the quiet room. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and he couldn’t help but feel his eyes get heavy, the lids closing on themselves before he could stop it. 

“Your majesty?” A meek voice spoke, a hand gently shaking him awake. Jaxon sat up, startled and looked around at the darkened room. It was night already? He glanced to the maid next to him, her chocolate brown eyes boring into his silver ones. “Oh, I’m sorry to startle you, your highness.”

“Shit, how long did I sleep?” He questioned, more to himself than to her, but still she shrugged before backing away slightly and grabbing something from his nightstand. 

“Your attire, my lord.” The maid bowed slightly, her flirty smirk finally catching Jaxon’s notice. She was a very pretty girl, hair dark and pulled back from her face, though a few strands fell forward. She bit her lip nervously as he took the clothes and set them in his lap. He wanted to flirt with her, desperately, but he took this time to clear his throat. The last thing he needed to do was get another maid in trouble, but the blushing and flirtatious look on her face made it hard for him to turn her away. He stood quickly, rushing past her slightly to the room divider to get away from the pretty girl. A new voice in the room made him mentally sigh in relief as he got dressed.

“Are you nearly ready, my lord?” Annette’s voice rang through the room. He stepped from behind the divider in the nicest clothes he’d ever worn in his life. A small smile appeared on the old lady’s face and she bowed slightly. “They suit you, sir.” He made his way to the floor length mirror and stared at himself a little surprised. He stood in nearly all black with fine gold and red embroidering and a fancy waist belt meant to hold a holstered sword. The young maid blushed, walking forward with a cloak, long black and a gold chain for the front with a crest at the connecting point where it held. He smirked into the mirror, genuinely happy for once for where he was. Being a King and being able to wear incredible quality clothes, take hot baths and have beautiful maids running around, he couldn’t say no. 

“So, what is all this for?” He asked, grabbing the pair of black boots and sliding them on.

“Your coronation, my lord.” Annette spoke softly, eyeballing the young maid who clearly was no longer needed in the room. 

“Amazing…” He whispered smirking, turning to the old lady. “I guess I’m ready…” She nodded, leading the way out of the room, the maid scuttling off somewhere else in the castle. He followed, staring at all the décor on the walls, the many suits of armor, the paintings of people he had no clue who they were. It was all still a lot to take in. They made their way slowly through the halls, finally entering a side door that brought them to the throne room. The massive crowd of people that squeezed together in the hall made him nervous. He’d never had this sort of crowd ever surround him and now he would probably have to just get used to it like so many other things. He stood next to the sorceress who smiled warmly up at him. Her smile the only thing that eased his nerves. 

“Welcome all to the coronation of our new King, Jaxon of Gahara.” The voice of the advisor rang out in the hall, quieting all who murmured. “As you all know, the King and his family tragically lost their lives just days ago, however, his son Jaxon, thankfully was elsewhere and will be taking his place as King.” Many whispers erupted and Jaxon knew why. Who was this strange guy claiming to be the King’s heir in front of them?

“What proof do you have that he is heir? We’ve never known him to have had more than one son, and that son is dead!” Yelled a random voice through the hall and many cheers of “yea!” followed. The sorceress giggled and held up her hand, quieting the crowd. She stepped forward gracefully, turning sideways and glancing at Jaxon.

“My lord, if you could be as so kind to lift your sleeve on your left arm.” The hall stood silent as Jaxon stepped down, lifting his sleeve slowly. A large, dark birthmark shown against his slightly tanned skin. The sorceress grabbed his arm, holding it farther down so the crowd could all see. She began to mutter an incantation and his birthmark swirled on his arm, rather painfully as he grit his teeth. “My lords and ladies of the court, if you could all bear witness to the royal family’s only true bond. For if this man is not of the royal bloodline, he will surely die.” Jaxon glared over at the sorceress, but the pain soared through him causing him to crouch down; however, her tight grip on his arm remained. The birthmark stretched and swirled, feeling like a knife had been inserted in his arm and moved around without mercy. He cried out in agony, the people in the court watching in horror at the pain the man was going through. Then, without warning, the pain subsided, leaving Jaxon panting heavily as he kneeled on the floor.  
He gathered himself the best that he could, standing up and glancing at his arm. An intricate design ran from his wrist to his inner elbow on the inside of his forearm, and right in the middle was the royal crest. His eyes found the sorceress’s and she smiled confidently. 

“Magic and sorcery!” One person yelled but many others hushed him.

“On my life, this is not a trick. Only the true heir to the royal line could wield such a powerful inheritance. My lord…” She turned fully to Jaxon now. “Please, hold out your arm and with all your might, concentrate on imagining the feeling of fire in the palm of your hand. Imagine the heat, the color, the brightness…” Jaxon nearly laughed. She expected him to perform magic. Well, he came this far, right? He held out his arm, his palm up and closed his eyes. He did as she asked, drawing his thoughts of the blacksmith forge and the white-hot heat that radiated from inside. He felt it in his hand, but maybe it was just a residual feeling; something he was just remembering. His eyes opened and there in the palm of his hand was a bright glow, hot to the touch but not painfully so. His eyes widened in surprise and the gasps around the room told him all he needed; that they believed. 

“My lords and ladies, as you can see, he wields the legendary timeless light, bright and white, to guide his way. Only the Kings and royal blood related heirs could ever harness this power. Thus, your proof kind sir, that Jaxon of Gahara is your one true King.” The crowd clapped and hailed him, something rather awkward for the apprentice blacksmith. He closed his hand, the power fading, though the feeling of such a thing leaving his whole body shaken with pleasure. He could wield magic; what kind, he was unsure of, but that alone was a feat he never thought possible. 

The coronation continued with the sorceress placing the crown on his head, handing him his biological father’s sword and him taking his place upon the throne. There he sat, forcing an air of confidence about him as the crowd of nobles each personally swore their fealty to him. The nobles of Gahara not wanting to lose their positions, their lands, their titles; all kissing his feet without further question. Small groups of nobles congratulating him, to single people bowing low and looking nothing more than desperate. Was this something he had to deal with all the time? He stifled his yawn of boredom with significant trouble, though somehow, he managed to push through the immense amount of people until finally the way was clear. The hall slowly becoming empty was a sign of relief for the young new King. Too much had happened that day and not enough explanation. One minute, an apprentice blacksmith, and the next, a King. From poverty to riches, starving to having an abundance of food, literally overnight.  
This was now his reality. The King of Gahara, with a longstanding tradition of magic users and tyrant rulers at his back; how will he move forward from here? The kingdom was now his to do with as he pleased, and the thoughts truthfully did please him. He smirked, glancing around the room, his gaze landing on his sorceress. Her yellow eyes found his, and yet the warm smile she had was now gone. Set on her beautiful face was pride and she wore it well. He didn’t stop staring at her though, and vice versa, even as his advisor bent slightly beside the thrown to talk with him. He only half heard the old man, captivated by the sight of the sorceress. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, though he knew she was far out of his league, King or not. 

“Your majesty…” The old man grumbled, slightly irritable and knowing full well what had his attention. “You are officially the King of Gahara, and yet you still have much to do. You should get your rest; we have much to discuss in the morning.” 

“After the nap I had, I doubt rest is what I am going to get.” If Jaxon forced himself, he could probably sleep, though not well. He finally broke the sorceress’s gaze and glanced up at the old man. 

“If you would like, your majesty, if you are restless, we can make arrangements for you…in your quarters.” He arched an eyebrow at the old man, curious if he was on the same page. “There are…many forms of entertainment in this castle, you need only say the word.” The old man smirked slyly, and Jaxon nodded.

“Let’s see what kind of entertainment you’ve got, Alston.” The sly wicked smile spread across the King’s face as he patted the old man’s shoulder; standing up and heading towards his quarters. The old man chuckled and nodded, heading down a separate corridor as Jaxon stepped to his room. He took his cloak off, tossing it onto the chaise that sat at the foot of his bed before removing his black and gold tunic. He tossed his belt and sword onto the dresser before sitting onto the chaise, left in just his under shirt, pants and boots. He glanced at the fireplace that cackled, warming the room and filling it with the scent of burning wood. It was pleasant and comfortable, and he couldn’t stop thinking of the cottage back home, the one room he lived in for most of his life. The amount of space here could house his father…he stopped his thoughts for a moment. No, not his father, the blacksmith who raised him…he could live in the castle if he wanted, away from the poverty and starvation he put himself through on a daily basis. 

His thoughts interrupted as the door to his bedroom opened. A few giggles filled the room and Jaxon smirked to himself. So, they were on the same page. Three gorgeous women flocked to the chaise, standing in front of him smiling wide. All three were fair skinned, one slightly more tanned than the other two, but each with elegant, pulled back hair. They were not maids, no, but not nobles either. Each wore what looked to be simple attire, though revealing to say the least. Each dress, if you could even call them that, left little to the imagination and Jaxon was not displeased in the slightest. One, a blonde girl with blue eyes sat to the right of him on the chaise while the slender black curly haired girl with light brown eyes cozied up to his left, both leaving zero distance between them and him. The third, a brunette with big brown eyes, knelt down, rubbing his legs and giggling, her hands slowly and teasingly going higher up his thighs. Alston caught the King’s attention from the side and bowed slightly.

“Your entertainment tonight your majesty, only the finest whores the castle can offer.” Professionals? He couldn’t stop the excitement as it plastered onto his face like a boy with sweets. “And one more thing…” The advisor stepped forward and placed a giant canter on the table with four goblets. “Only our best wine.” 

“You have no idea how secure your job is Alston.” Jaxon laughed, tossing his head back on the chaise, enjoying the girls’ attention as they toyed with him. “You spoil me.” 

“Good to hear, my lord. Enjoy your evening.” Alston chuckled, leaving the new King to thoroughly enjoy his first night in the castle.


	2. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaxon is learning what it means to be not only a King, but a wielder of magic and weapons. Slowly, the veils of truth unfold into the incoming dangers he will soon face as well as the potential for new allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying my original story, any feedback really helps! Please comment/subscribe or leave kudos. Anything truly helps!

“Again.” Valona’s voice rang out in the basement of her wing of the castle. With her training, Jaxon had already began to understand how to work his magic for offensive attacks and basic defense. It was no joke either as sweat poured down his face and his jaw clenched shut with every attack. Valona looked as if she hadn’t even lifted so much as a finger as she dodged and maneuvered with such grace, Jaxon couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to take out a world renowned sorcerer if he couldn’t even land a hit on Valona. Every part of him wished he had been back in bed with the three ladies of the evening from the night prior, though Valona made sure to pull him from his pleasures and throw him face first into the reality that was knocking on his doorstep. 

Gahara was a sprawling Kingdom, absolutely massive with outlying little villages like the one he had lived in. Inside the walls there were thousands of people and his army was quite large. It had to be considering the sheer number of citizens inside and out of Gahara’s walls; there needed to be a strong enough force to keep everyone in line. However, over the years, the Gaharan Army was not to be trifled with. The king was becoming more tyrannical with each passing day, his sheer greed and desires tearing the Kingdom in two, the loyalists and the anti-monarchy. With Jaxon’s coronation, the rift in the city had already grown exponentially, to the point that even the army wasn’t entirely convinced they should listen to their new leader. 

It was Valona’s job to get Jaxon in fighting shape to lead this new army of his. To prove he had the ability to be the leader they needed. At the rate he was going, however, he could barely lead himself, let alone an entire army into battle. That said, Valona was relentless as they spent hours sparring. Alston had taken over many of the menial day to day type tasks for Jaxon as his advisor, he had the ability to stand in place of the King when the moments had arisen. Jaxon panted heavily as he slid onto the wooden stool placed by a small table in the room. He was beyond exhausted, his muscles dully aching as he gulped down a drink. 

“I have a gift for you.” Valona sashayed her way to the table, extending her hand towards Jaxon. In her hand was a small glowing orb, no larger than a river rock. He arched his eyebrow and stared up at the sorceress. 

“Thanks…what the hell is it?” Valona smirked, placing a hand on her hip. 

“That, Jaxon, is the only way you’re ever going to be as strong as you need to be. This is a family heirloom made by your ancestors, passed from generation to generation for times where training and learning needed to be had in as little time as possible.” Jaxon tilted his head at the sorceress curiously. “You take this orb down here and envision yourself inside. You can take anything into this orb and even leave anything behind to store. Let’s say you wanted to hone your attack skills to an enormously destructive level, you can do so safely inside this orb for as long as you want. No matter how long you stay inside, time barely passes outside. You will not age, you will not hunger, you will just be until you are ready to exit to which only a few moments had passed here in the real world.” 

“So, I can go in here, this tiny ass little orb and spend what could be years training or reading or anything really, and when I come back out, I’ll have only spent a few minutes outside of the real world?” Valona nodded and slid into the adjacent stool, taking a long sip of wine. 

“Your family is the only family of its kind to have the magic affinity that it does. Jaxon, you don’t just wield light and fire, you literally hold onto time itself. That’s why it’s called Timeless Light. You can manipulate time in ways that even the most advanced sorcerers in the world could only dream of. The Academy of Sorcerers have desperately wanted to get their hands on the magic of your bloodline for as long as I have been alive, which I was on the advising council of your great, great, great, great, great grandfather, if that tells you anything.” Jaxon stared blankly at the tight, toned, pale skin of Valona who didn’t look a day above 20. “Don’t let looks deceive you, boy, I have been around for quite some time. Your ancestors assisted me in giving me eternal youth so long as my loyalty to your bloodline never faltered, and thus here I am, serving you as I did so many before you. You have the potential to be an incredible leader, you just need to learn and unlock all your magic, and the only way you’re doing that is with this.” She pointed at the orb in Jaxon’s hand. 

Never in a million years could Jaxon believe he was part of any royal bloodline, let alone believe he could wield some ancient magic. Everything that had unfolded in the past two days gave him little time to process anything said or given to him before the next bombshell dropped in his lap. He sighed loudly, toying with the orb in his fingers for a moment. 

“I have to run an entire Kingdom I know next to nothing about, I have magic and no one in the Kingdom trusts me yet or even believes I am part of this bloodline. Valona, I don’t know if any amount of training or reading is going to prepare me for anything to do with this throne.” Her yellow eyes scanned his slightly frustrated expression for a moment before she sighed as well. 

“Jaxon, I know this wasn’t what you were expecting, but this is the truth. You are the King of Gahara, and you have already agreed to lead the people. How you lead them is entirely up to you. They will come to trust you as you show your worth and your willingness to protect not only them but their interests as well. This Kingdom will only flourish depending on the amount of effort you put into this as well. It’s an unforgiving job to say the least, but this is why anything you ask for, we will do everything in our power to give you. Think of it as our thanks for stepping up to the plate when no one else would.” Jaxon pondered the thought for a moment. What was it that he wanted? As the King he already had inherited an abundance of wealth overnight, he could call for all the women he could ask for, he could eat anytime he wanted now that he not only had an abundance of food, but chefs to cook it for him as well. What did a King want?

“What were my father’s goals when he was King?” Valona stared curiously as Jaxon’s silver eyes met hers, concern filling his. She thought for a moment, trying to find the words to give. 

“Your father wanted nothing more than to rule a prosperous Kingdom, that is, when he first took the throne. A downside to your bloodline, Jaxon, is the demons they fight within themselves have often taken over in place of any original goals. Your father had become plagued by greed, always wanting more and more and always thinking he was above his own rules. As such, he made many enemies and acted without mercy. Your grandfather had done the same thing and so on and so forth. Luckily, their ambitions were satiated within the city limits, and as such the world didn’t have to endure their tyranny and corruption.” 

“Then that’s my conviction, I will not follow their paths. I will forge my own and make this a Kingdom not only prosperous but make the entirety of the Kingdom a better place.” Valona smiled at Jaxon, though her thoughts raced over many nagging questions. Will it even be possible for this boy to stick to his convictions or will he truly succumb to his greed as did every other man in his bloodline. For Valona, she didn’t care one way or the other, only that the survival of this bloodline was all that mattered. 

“That’s very noble and all, Jaxon. However, you need to also consider the very real possibility that you will need to marry someone and father children. Your bloodline shouldn’t end at you, especially with how fragile everything is at the moment. You should ensure your bloodline stay on the throne for as long as possible.” Jaxon smirked this time, casting a playful glance to Valona. 

“Don’t want to die off with the rest of us?” She scoffed loudly, though Jaxon was not incorrect. Ensuring his bloodline also ensured her survival. Once his bloodline, and the magic, was gone, there would be no more eternal youth. She would surely perish. 

“I’m not just thinking for my own selfish desires here.” She pouted, staring angrily at the young king. “However, the more heirs you can produce, the easier the time you’ll have when it comes to the corruption of your own magic. You will be passing on the gene and it will help stabilize in you. The more children you do have, the less insane you will become.” Jaxon rolled his eyes, grabbing a piece of bread of the table. 

“I’m not marrying anyone. I just became King, why should I settle for one if I should father as many kids as I can?” Valona stared a little shocked at the King. 

“You really did inherit the greedy gene, didn’t you?” Jaxon laughed and shrugged. 

“Better I be greedy with women than with the dumb shit my father and the rest of the Coventry line did before him did, right?” Valona giggled and shrugged. 

“I’ll make you a deal, Jaxon. I will search the ends of the earth to procure however many women you could want, but in doing so, you have to secure your bloodline. Father as many children as you can.” Jaxon stared at the sorceress for a long moment, a smile plastered to his face. 

“How could I say no to that kind of deal?” Valona smirked and shook her head. The new King was quite unorthodox but if women were all he needed to satiate his greed; he would certainly be the kind of King that this city sorely needed. Maybe, for once, they’d have a King who was worth fighting for and being loyal to.

Training with Valona was exhausting in itself yet Jaxon had ensured his use of the orb Valona had given him. It was incredible to witness the first time as he managed to get inside the orb, finding old journals and books not only on his bloodline, but on their magic as well. He spent what felt like weeks every time he stepped into the orb, reading about his past, trying the different magic techniques written in the journals, learning every aspect that he could when it came to his magical affinity. His ancestors had kept secrets the world had never known about in the journals inside the orb and only a true blood descendent of the Coventry line could step in and find it all. Not even Valona knew what was fully inside. 

However, his training halted as he made an interesting discovery inside the orb. One book in particular had spoken about demons and demonic possessions. Not just little tidbits, detailed chapters of real time stamped events that his ancestors had witnessed. The last pages had been written by his father, speaking of someone named Varo. He had detailed Varo’s existence as that of hell itself, the supreme leader of hell possibly, and according to his father, Varo was the reason Gahara’s gates had closed so abruptly when they did. 

This had all taken place 20 years ago…meaning Jaxon had already been born when the gates to Gahara closed permanently. The last passage had Jaxon curious as his father explained that he felt the demonic corruption start to surround Gahara and noticed some civilians had been possessed. In his final pages, he explained how the citizens had been burned alive beneath the castle, unbeknownst to anyone that these people were corrupted. They had to secure the evil that possessed the civilians, for if they had just killed them, the evil would have jumped to the next body and then the next. No, Valona had created a sealed tomb so to speak that housed the evil within the civilians. Any false move could unleash it upon the world. The biggest threat being anyone with a grudge or anyone who even knew of the tomb. It was all a mess to be sure and Jaxon wasn’t even sure if this was all completely accurate due to the decaying minds of his ancestors. However, his magic had grown exponentially and the new spells and incantations he had learned all proved to work impeccably. To disregard this sort of information would be silly. 

As he stepped from the sphere for the umpteenth time, Jaxon noted only half a day in total had gone by through his usage of the sphere. In half a day his magic had gone from Novice to nearly Master Level. The things he could do at this point were completely insane and he could see why the world would want their hands on his magic, especially if they had known the extent to which it could be used. Valona had beamed proudly every time he showed her some of the new magic he had learned and even she noted the difference in his magical affinity just from his presence. He followed the sorceress to the training grounds outside. The sun was bright, and it felt like he hadn’t seen it in years, even though literal hours had only passed. The sphere was something that he would avidly need to keep secret. If anyone knew he possessed such an item, let alone the type of magic he could wield, all hell would break loose. Instead, Valona secured the orb on a long chain pendant for Jaxon to keep around his neck. 

They stepped through the training yard, his eyes scanning the many soldiers training avidly as the threat of an invading army loomed overhead. These men who fought and many died for his father and the Coventry name, cast unsure glances in the direction of their new and young King. Very little information had been released about Jaxon other than from his coronation the night before. All anyone knew was that his blood was in fact legitimate and be bore the Coventry crest on his arm as every King before him had. It wasn’t hard to tell, even for Jaxon, the uncertainty that surrounded the soldiers as they all trained, many keeping an eye on him as he approached his General, Ivar. Ivar reminded him of the blacksmith, massive like a mountain. His face was deeply scarred on one side and the sides of his head were covered in tattoos. He was a mean looking man, one who had seen man brutal fights in his lifetime. Ivar glanced over at the King, not even bothering to bow or show respect. Jaxon didn’t blame him either, for all this General knew Jaxon wasn’t worthy of his respect as of yet. 

“Valona, you grace me with such beauty today.” Ivar smirked at the sorceress who bowed, giving Ivar a great view down her already low-cut dress. 

“Ivar, my dear. It seems the next half of King Jaxon’s training is now in your hands. I trust you won’t kill him?” Ivar chuckled, towering of Jaxon and crossing his arms.

“I might break the kid, but I promise, just for you, I won’t kill him.” Jaxon liked the unorthodox man that stood in front of him. While most Kings, especially those who grew up as royalty, would look at this disrespect as something that needed punished, Jaxon looked at it as comfortability. It reminded him of home, with the blacksmith, and it made this all even easier to handle. Jaxon smirked up at the General and nodded. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a good fight.” General Ivar laughed loudly and patted Jaxon hard on the back. 

“Boy, have you even held a sword in your lifetime?” Jaxon nodded and laughed. 

“Are you kidding? I used to make swords, knives, axes…you name it. And you bet your ass I was the one testing them too.” The General looked genuinely surprised as he tossed Jaxon a bastard sword. Fitting…he thought to himself as he swung the blade around slightly. It had decent enough balance, though Jaxon could probably fix it better. 

“A blacksmith huh? Who would’ve thought the bastard son actually learned him something over the years?” The General joked, grabbing his own sword. 

“I’m sure if I grew up here, I’d still find something decent enough to do.” 

“Yea like bed all the women.” Valona joked as she leaned against the stone wall, catching a few chuckles from the soldiers listening in.

“Hey, that would be a great hobby and one that every man here would love to enjoy as well.” The General laughed loudly with some of his soldiers. 

“The boy’s not wrong Valona. At least he’s honest.” Jaxon couldn’t continue his playful joking as the General charged him quickly in an attempt to catch him off-guard. Luckily Jaxon dodged the attack, though just barely. “Good, at least you pay a little attention to your surroundings.” Jaxon smirked though the General gave no opening for him to attack back. All Jaxon could do was wait for an opening and defend. The General swung his sword violently but tactfully as he knew very well not to leave room for Jaxon to get a hit in. As Jaxon dodged to the best of his ability, he could see that the General was just trying to tire him out, and it was working. The more the giant man swung his sword, the harder it became to block. 

“Don’t even think of using your magic.” Valona’s voice chimed from the side, reading Jaxon’s mind immediately. He had certainly thought of stopping time for a moment to gain an edge, yet that’s all he’d be able to get with this mountain of a man. There was no way in hell he could defeat him, and this training was one he couldn’t breeze by with the orb. He had to fight truly and build up his strength and defense before he could attack correctly. Just as Jaxon thought he had an opening; he rushed the General from behind only to receive an elbow to the face which caused him to land hard on his back. 

“You are smart kid, however, just because your enemy has their back to you, doesn’t mean you have any opening. Tactics are key in sword fighting. It is not just about swinging your sword and blocking. You must know your enemy’s moves before they make them, anticipate them and strike when you’re most confident.” Jaxon panted heavily as the blood gushed form his nose down the sides of his face while he stared up at the sky. It’d been years since he’d been hit that hard, having instantly seen stars on impact. A few of the soldiers laughed, now fully watching the training in front of them. 

“How am I supposed to anticipate something when I don’t even know it’s going to happen?” Jaxon growled, finally sitting up and wiping the blood from his face. 

“My back is to you right? A number of things can happen from that position, I could swing my sword around and jab at you from under my arm, I could elbow you like I did, knowing that I can dodge your sword and get you close enough as you just saw. I could even grab your wrist and take you down that way as well, all because I anticipated that you would come charging at me believing you had an opening.” Jaxon thought about this for a moment, frustrated that the General was right. However, he was the General of the Gaharan army for a reason. He knew strategy like no other and thus, besides his sheer strength and combat efficiency, was perfect for the job. He also was someone the men in the army looked up to more-so than any other leader within the city, that included the previous king. Jaxon was going to have a rough go of things for anyone in that army to respect him let alone want to follow his lead, however the fact that he was training with Ivar and taking hard hits and continuously getting back up ready to learn, the soldiers that were there were starting to already find some semblance of respect for their new king. It may not have been much, but someone who could constantly take hits willingly and work hard to learn something could very well be someone worth looking to as a leader. 

By sundown, Jaxon was bruised and battered; dirt stuck to the sweaty skin from every fall he took. This wasn’t something he could easily learn in an orb, this was something he had to learn by practice, and while he wasn’t a bad swordsman to begin with considering his previous profession, there was a significant amount he could still learn and Ivar was a very willing teacher. Hell, Jaxon was pretty sure the man was more than happy just to beat down a King repeatedly, though every time he went down, Jaxon laughed it off and forced himself to take on the next level of beatings that Ivar could dish. It wasn’t until he sat in the lukewarm bath that he realized how badly he ached and how truly tired his body was from the intense training of the day. As much as he would’ve loved to sit in the bath and not move, he desperately needed food. He finished drying off quickly, throwing on his more relaxed attire, though still it was a lot to get used to. Coming from poverty to owning a different set of attire for literally every occasion, it slightly weirded Jaxon out. Even his relaxing clothes felt too nice to wear, though he was thankful to have anything this nice. 

As he stepped towards the dining hall, a familiar shape of a man made his way into the entrance hall, catching Jaxon by surprise. The man turned towards Jaxon, beaming a smile as he scratched the back of his head. 

“You look weird all dressed up.” The blacksmith smiled down at his former son. “I never thought I’d see this day…” Jaxon couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as the man fidgeted awkwardly with the long, wrapped item in his hand, which Jaxon could assume was a sword. “Here, I finished your last piece for you.”

Jaxon took the gift, unwrapping it to reveal an incredibly finished bastard sword beneath the cloth. The handle alone had to have taken the blacksmith the entire night to finish, the dragon’s head at the bottom making Jaxon smile. No matter what, this man was his father, as different as the two were now, he refused to believe otherwise. 

“Dad…” He mumbled staring up at the man who immediately relaxed with relief with the one spoken word, smiling down at his son. “Thank you, for everything, really.” Jaxon twirled the impeccably balanced blade in his hand for a moment as his father beamed down at him happily. “Why don’t you move here? You could be my personal blacksmith. You could live in luxury away from all that poverty…” His father held up his hand, stopping Jaxon quickly. 

“I appreciate it son, I do, but my life is there in the village. If I leave, I leave all of those memories behind and I’m not ready to leave your mother and sister in that cottage. It’s all I have left.” Jaxon grimaced slightly though he understood completely. 

“Then take a monthly stipend from me, let me give you that at least so you don’t have to go hungry ever. So, you can add a damn bed or more rooms to the cottage, something so you aren’t living the way we did.” His father opened his mouth to protest but quickly noted the look on Jaxon’s face. Jaxon could rebuild the cottage a thousand times over and still have plenty of money left over now that he was King of Gahara. 

“Fine, stubborn boy.” The old man growled, patting Jaxon on the shoulder thankfully. 

“I’m about to go eat, come with me.” Jaxon pointed to the dining hall, taking in the nervous face of his father’s. His father was a very humble man, eating extravagantly would be a lot for him to take in. Nonetheless the man nodded, giving Jaxon the benefit to enjoying dinner with his father, maybe for the last time considering they’d be parting ways after. The stares of the nobles didn’t bother Jaxon in the slightest and the sight of the blacksmith caused Valona and Alston to beam proudly as the two sat side by side at the royal table. Jaxon was still getting used to how things were done, yet for tonight he would ignore all the pleasantries and laugh with his old man again. Something he hadn’t been able to truly do since his mother and sister were alive. 

The two men had consumed enough food and ale to knock a sturdy horse on its ass, however as the dining hall cleared, the blacksmith placed his hand on Jaxon’s shoulder and looked at him sternly. Even through his slurred words, wisdom poured from his lips that Jaxon knew he had been dying to get off his chest.

“Boy, promise me you won’t ever lose sight of who you are and where you came from. You may be a Coventry, but that don’t mean you aren’t my son. You don’t lose your mind like the jackass before you. I know you boy, you are strong willed, and you don’t let shit get to you, don’t ever stop that. Show these little nobles what a real King is.” Jaxon laughed and nodded, allowing his father his moment as the man hugged his son tight with one arm. “I have never been prouder of you than I am now. Lead this Kingdom with fairness and open the doors again. Show the world that you, Jaxon, named after my grandfather, are a force to be reckoned with and don’t let that stupid invading army have a chance. You take every one of those bastards down and you better come back home and tell me you’re okay when you are done.”

Jaxon took in the words of his father, thinking deeply on the matter at hand. He would be facing King Racht’s army within days and in doing so, it was either going to be Racht or Jaxon that came out alive. As King, Jaxon would be at the front of the line, leading his army into battle. A man who’d never seen a battle or fought in one, having only days to train in hand to hand combat had to beat an invading army who very well was under the control of dark forces. Jaxon sighed, toning out the drunken ramblings of the blacksmith as he dwelled on what he was to face when the day came. Demonic possessions, an army filled with bloodlust probably not their own, a sorcerer corrupted by blood magic and a King who descended wholeheartedly into corruption without a second glance. It was a nightmare scenario for even a seasoned King. How was he going to pull it off? 

Once the food had been cleared and the mead had taken the blacksmith and turned him into nothing more than a wet noodle, Jaxon motioned for the servants to escort his father to a more than comfortable guest room and provide the man anything he could want or need during his stay. Jaxon would always look to the blacksmith as his father, regardless of bloodline or anything of the like. The man he watched be half carried by multiple servants, even a couple guards had to help the giant of a man, he could feel the admiration and love for the man who raised him without a second thought. He would do whatever it took to make the man proud as his fingers danced across the hilt of his new sword. Both swords he had now were from each of his fathers, the Coventry family bastard sword, which in all terms was quite fitting for Jaxon, and the bastard sword his father had finished for him. 

“You don’t have to take just one into battle you know.” Valona’s smooth voice snapped Jaxon from his trance. He glanced over at the gorgeous woman at his side. Even as he pondered the depths of his brain, the sight of her half-exposed chest was enough to snap him back to reality. She had made it a point since he had arrived however, she was not for his enjoyment and thus, would not allow him to so much as touch her, though she did allow his eyes to wander. Jaxon was pretty certain she’d kill him if he tried anyway, or at the very least, beat him brutally within an inch of his life. 

“Maybe Ivar can train me in wielding both then…” His thoughts still drifted to the upcoming battle. His army was not as large as Racht’s was at this point, but that was because the other King had half his forces as undead additions. As he leveled villages and small kingdoms, he was allowing his sorcerer to turn every death into an addition to their forces. By the time they were to reach Gahara, Jaxon would be facing an army triple his own. No matter how he looked at it, this battle was going to be grim. His survival was highly unlikely. 

“I think it’s time you knew of the next strategy to our plans.” Jaxon glanced over at Valona curiously, his brows furrowing slightly. “There is a Kingdom that Racht is headed directly for. The elves of Ela Alora, the Woodlands. Their Kingdom lies between you and Racht’s army as of right now. Racht’s army is going to be a massive threat to them on their own, however, there’s a possibility we can sway the elves into siding with us…” Valona trailed for a moment, watching Jaxon’s unwavering expression intently. “You see, it has come to my attention that one of the elves at Ela Alora is non other than one of the Five.” Jaxon leaned forward slightly at the final statement. 

“Look Valona, you need to explain to me, what is the Five even. Every time you or Alston mention it, you keep what they are under lock and key. If I am to rule to the best of my ability, I need there to be no more secrets.” Valona sighed quietly, knowing this moment was going to come. She had to explain to Jaxon as much of the truth as she knew, otherwise, he would probably refuse to fight for the kingdom let alone for her own personal gains. 

“The Five are the five most trusted people your father had chosen to guard his utmost secret. You. You are the last of the Coventry bloodline and you were a carefully planned child in the event that King Geoffrey and his family line should die. He anticipated his death and he was quite strategic in placing you in this world for a reason. You’re more powerful than you seem to think and these five know all about your bloodline and much of the power that surges through you. You are probably the best kept secret in the world and now that you are no secret, the Five will be anticipating your arrival in their respective kingdoms and such.” 

“Are you one of the Five?” Valona chuckled and shook her head.

“No, in fact I didn’t know of your existence until quite recently. I told you how I was bestowed this youthful appearance, if the Coventry line ended, so would I.” Jaxon sat back and thought for just a moment, realizing quickly how she knew there was another out there. “I did a little personal research and uncovered the Five pretty quickly, Alston was the only other who knew of their existence. In fact, this whole castle and its inhabitants are still rather surprised we had found even a smidge of documentation on your birth, however I know I didn’t find it by accident. Your father held many, many secrets and I am even certain the Queen had no idea you were even conceived let alone his backup plan.” Jaxon glanced out at the empty hall, save for a few soldiers guarding the doors. They had essentially utter privacy, though now none of this was a secret anymore. 

“How do I know I’m even capable of leading these people, let alone getting anyone to ally with us to fight against Racht? He’s proving to be more powerful than anyone anticipated.” 

“My King, you are a living anomaly, a planned child to inherit power you couldn’t think possible. From what I could find, your mother wasn’t just any commoner either, she had power in her veins as well, though to what extent I will never know. I can’t find any record of her other than minor details in very few texts left by your father. He was determined to keep her, and you, a secret.” Jaxon clenched his teeth at the thought that he may very well have his biological mother alive somewhere in this world. Once he dealt with Racht, finding her may be his next goal. He had no trail to go on, though. Each way he thought about it, he only had his father’s journals and texts from his little secret stash inside the orb the hung from his neck, yet nothing even mentioned his mother. Only the magic in his bloodline and the corruption that it caused, yet nothing concrete for even why it caused any corruption in the first place. 

“Keep up your research on her. I want to find the woman that conceived me at all costs. I need to find answers if I am going to surpass all those before me and control this magic and its effects. I will have Ivar ready the army as well, once we can get the aid of the elves, the better. With them at our side at least we have a fighting chance against Racht and his armies of the living and the dead.” Jaxon sighed, rubbing his eyes as she stood from his seat, leaving Valona to her own thoughts and planning as he made his way towards his room. The day had been overly long and exhausting, and it wasn’t going to let up in the days to come. 

Much to his surprise, as he entered his room, the flirty maid from the previous day that had awoken him from his nap was tidying the room. It had to be late and yet she was still working. She hadn’t noticed Jaxon even entered as she took care to wipe down the candelabra on the small table, ensuring there wasn’t a spec of dust left. Jaxon wasn’t used to having nice things and watching those nice things being intricately cleaned and taken care of was slightly odd. He stepped forward, making his presence known and causing the girl to jump startled. He didn’t say a word yet, knowing her eyes were glued to him as she apologized for intruding while he unbuttoned his shirt, readying himself for sleep. The girl’s eyes were locked on him as he finally removed his shirt, leaving him only in pants before he turned and glanced down at the girl. 

She was incredibly cute, her eyes a deep blue, her dark hair pulled back from her face and her attire less than desirable. He was going to have to have less modest looking maids now that he was King. The desire to have women who were pleasing to the eye clean in clothes that assisted with his perverse thoughts was a thought for another night. Tonight, however he wasn’t going to brush the maid off as he did the previous day, and since Annette was more than likely sleeping or elsewhere, he was definitely going to take advantage. 

“Cleaning my room this late at night is pretty bold of you.” The girl blushed and apologized though Jaxon didn’t ignore the smirk that played across her lips for a moment. She had planned on running into him that was for certain. “What is it you are expecting to gain tonight?” He smirked, stepping closer to the girl, curious if she’d allow him real honesty. Her stutters told him otherwise. For such a flirty face, she was quite shy. 

“I’m sorry your majesty, I wasn’t thinking.” She bit her lower lip as she fidgeted with the cloth in her hand. 

“On the contrary, you were thinking much more than you are letting on.” The girl hadn’t realized that Jaxon had backed her against his desk, leaving no room for escape as he closed the gap, placing his hands at either side of her on the desk and staring intently into her eyes. “I think you wanted to play with your King, didn’t you?” The girl blushed deep crimson as Jaxon allowed one hand to reach behind her, slowly undoing the buttons at the back of her dress. She could barely compose herself as she tried to find the words to explain herself. She couldn’t do it before Jaxon had tugged her dress from her arms, pushing it to the floor giving Jaxon a much better view than he had anticipated. The girl shook slightly in front of him, though he presumed it was from excitement as it was not cold in his room. 

A mischievous smile played across his lips as he brought his face down to her neck, licking gently at her soft skin. She let out a nervous, quiet moan as he hands clutched at his shoulders. His hands slid down her exposed body, quite enjoying the feeling of such soft skin under his fingertips. She wasn’t like the poverty ridden girls he had been used to prior to his time at the castle. Their skin was rough, weathered from hard work and being outdoors with less than a decent bath. This maid had been softer to the touch than any girl he’d been with up until now. Even her moans were delicate as he teased every inch of her before heading south, slipping one leg over his shoulder. 

Jaxon loved women more than anything else. He loved the way they moved, the way they sounded, and above all he loved the way they acted with him. It was his job to give them the attention they deserved, and he was all for letting them relax and enjoy anything he did to them. This maid was no exception. She had put herself in his line of sight and he was going to ensure she got what she wanted, even if she hadn’t admitted it. Her taste was more than pleasing and even Jaxon couldn’t hold back his groan of approval as he pushed the maid past one release. He wasn’t going to stop however, with the day he had, he needed to taste and feel his way to his own release, and it wasn’t going to come anytime soon. Compared to the very experienced women from the night before, this was significantly more exciting. Jaxon had no doubts the girl he was pleasing was still pure and untouched, giving him even more excitement. Just her mannerisms told him he was right, but the real truth would come to pass soon as he pushed the girl over the edge a second time. 

Jaxon stood licking his lips, content in the job he had done as he enjoyed the weak look in the girl’s eyes. He didn’t need to know her name for the time they were going to share, he just needed to feel her for the evening. She was light as he lifted her around his waist. With a quick unsnap of his pants, he pushed himself into her slowly, relishing in how correct he was about her purity. She was brave, he had to give her that, to put herself front and center for him to do this to her. She had to have known that a man wouldn’t want her to leave without satisfying his needs this late in the evening. Cleaning was just her excuse and he was thankful she did it. The sounds that erupted from the girl caught Jaxon by surprise as he helped her adjust to him. He did not expect her to be loud, though nonetheless, he was all for it. It only made him go harder as he held her body against his. 

The sounds that filled his room that evening would make anyone blush if they walked by. No doubt his guards outside heard plenty as well as anyone within ear shot considering Jaxon and the maid christened about every part of his room. It wasn’t until the following morning that Jaxon even realized the maid had still been in his bed as Annette’s stern, loud whispering woke him from his sleep. She was scolding the maid by his bed. He listened intently as Annette scolded the girl for bedding the King, as it was not her place and the King could sully his name just by association with someone so low ranked. He wasn’t going to get involved until he heard the maid loudly whisper back that she loved Jaxon, immediately causing his red flags to go on high alert. He sat up finally, startling both the women and shook his head at the girl. 

“That’s a mistake considering I don’t even know your name. I’ve only seen you one other time around here so what basis do you have to even honestly say that you love me? Because I took your precious virginity?” Jaxon let out a laugh but even Annette allowed him to say his peace with little change in her expression. She just continued to look at the girl with a very loud ‘I told you so’ look. “I don’t even plan on getting married, what makes you think I’m going to settle for anyone at this point? No offense sweetheart, you were fun for the evening but don’t mistake me getting laid to have any feelings behind the actions.” The girl looked as if she would burst into tears, but Jaxon had to draw the line deep in the sand. If he didn’t, he was sure the girl would cause problems later on. It was also the reason he didn’t allow himself to finish inside of her at any point. She was not going to mother future heirs. He wanted to enjoy what the world had to offer, settling for a human maid was not on his agenda. It was cold of him to think the way he did, and selfish, but with the chances of him dying in battle or seeing new sights and people, why should he not enjoy what new experiences could be to come?

The maid dressed quickly, practically running from his room, though Annette stayed behind, staring disapprovingly at Jaxon. Her pursed lips and cold glare told him she wasn’t done with him, King or not. 

“Your majesty, if you could please refrain from using the staff as your personal pleasure ground, I would greatly appreciate it. It’s hard enough finding capable workers let alone those who can keep their legs closed around royalty.” Jaxon let out a chuckle catching an eyeroll from Annette. 

“I’ll do my best but keep them from cleaning my room in the middle of the night half begging for it.” Annette glared at Jaxon, but he made no move to falter from his words. She nodded quickly before turning to the windows, her back to Jaxon as she opened the curtains and the windows while he stepped to the bath behind the room divider, cleaning quickly before dressing in semi casual fighting attire. More training was to ensue that day among even more learning with Valona. As he neared the Sorceress, he caught the eyeroll she gave him.

“Not even here two days and you’re already a handful.” She teased, stepping to him in a tight outfit that hugged every curve wonderfully. She was a sight to behold that was certain, but the thought of not being able to touch the woman already drove Jaxon mad. She was probably the real reasons all the Kings went mad. 

“I just fucked a maid; I don’t know why this is such a big deal since Alston gave me prostitutes the night before.” Valona giggled and shook her head.

“Maids are less than prostitutes dear boy. They’re here to clean your estate, not your balls.” Jaxon chuckled at the statement, but Valona didn’t stop there. “Here, prostitutes are paid handsomely for the use of their bodies. They are kept clean and ready for your use and only your use. Maids are not paid nearly as much, and you have a higher chance at having attachment issues among so many other reasons if you sleep with the help. Most of our maids are just commoners or poverty-stricken people who are desperate for a paycheck. Please think carefully before you add more of the help to your list of things you intend to impregnate.”

“Well, good news, that one’s not getting pregnant so we’re good.” Valona rolled her eyes and scoffed at Jaxon’s laxed views on his actions. For Jaxon, he was still used to maids at being at his level, though Valona was right. He had to aim higher from this point forward. Every girl that he played with from this point would be nothing but the best. He was going to father the next heirs to the throne, even if they were technically bastards, he would need to put power on the throne before one night stand shenanigans. He was certainly going to enjoy weeding out each and every woman that wanted that spot, however, only the most beautiful and powerful women were going to be chosen for his heirs at that point moving forward. He wouldn't play the coward game like his father and secretly father a little bastard and throw them to the wolves. His future line would know only the best.

“Come you beast, clearly I need to teach you the ways of royalty and some respectable manners.” Jaxon smirked following his sorceress, leaving to learn not only about what he is supposed to do and ways he is supposed to act around nobility, commoners and the like. She drilled her lessons into him as much as she possibly could until Jaxon was clear in his understanding of how a King was supposed to hold himself, especially considering the following day they would be at the entrance to the elven kingdom and manners and respect are held quite high in their ranks. If he shows up acting less like a King and more like a back-alley blacksmith, they will likely deny allying with his kingdom. Not to mention Valona explained how beautiful elven women were and how the ways of the elves worked when it came to lovers. They were not a jealous race and were completely okay with relaxed relations such as what Jaxon was looking for. This all made Jaxon eager to meet the race and see the women for himself. 

Between Valona’s etiquette training and Ivar’s dual-wielding swordsman training, the entire day was filled with nothing but headaches, both literal and figurative. A part of him was grateful to see his father out at the soldiers’ training yard, admiring their weapons and watching Jaxon train for a while before he left again. It gave Jaxon a bit of strength and perseverance to do the best he could when he knew he had someone like his father supporting him. Even the other soldiers began to assist in the training, helping Jaxon with tips and tricks and working with him when Ivar couldn’t. He had gained a good amount of respect from and for the men around him as he trained side by side with them. He wanted nothing more than to prove his worth in that moment. Jaxon could be the king and leader they needed, he just needed to work hard to refine the edges as quickly as he could between his personality, his magic and his combat training, everything needed extra work. Even that evening, he took the time to read up and practice his magic rather than look for company, utilizing his orb as much as he could before his upcoming meeting with the elves of Ela Alora.


	3. Ela Alora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaxon must ensure an alliance with the Elves of Ela Alora to stand a chance at defeating Racht's armies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for the subscriptions and kudos! It really means a lot as we continue to work hard on this story! We hope you enjoy the original story and continue to leave some form of feedback!_

It was time, to finally go in search of the elves of Ela Alora. After having trained for days at hand to hand combat and doing whatever he could to enhance his magical skills, Jaxon was finally confident in his standing in terms of his capabilities. He wasn’t the best swordsman ever, though he was certain that his magic would assist him should he be on the brink of failure. That night Jaxon, Valona, Alston and Ivar sat around the council table, drinks in hand. While Jaxon was confident in his training, that didn’t mean he was as confident in seeking out the elves. The four of them held open the map on the table, discussing strategies, though the grim faces that surrounded him told him their confidence were wavering as well.  
Racht, the King of the North was on a warpath, raining chaos on every Kingdom on his trek South, ready to take over Gahara and expand his current territory. No one loved the previous King of Gahara, but his tenacity and ruthlessness was world renowned, which meant peace for the kingdom so long as he lived. Now that he was gone, and Jaxon was all that stood in between Racht and Gahara, Racht was confident he would win.  
Rumors had spread through the neighboring kingdoms about Racht, his armies notorious for their savage and brutal way of life, were possibly corrupted with demons, though no one lived long enough to say for sure. Jaxon growled as his sorceress handed him the dead messenger’s bloody note, indicating that the armies were closing in and had marched through the Northernmost part of the Woodlands, inhabited by the Elves. Not much was known of the Elven Kingdom, most humans had remained fairly docile in their own territories, warring mostly with other humans.

His silver eyes scanned the note, requests for aid from the small village of Brachlavin. There was no doubt this village had been decimated. The only reason the note had made its way to Gahara was because of the scouts he had sent just the day prior. The Kingdom was heavily armed, however, there was no way they were going to be able to fight against Racht and his armies, let alone his sorcerer who is said to be completely insane and powerful. He was a sorcerer who could raise armies of the dead to do his bidding, his magic consisting solely of necromancy and blood rituals.

“What do we know about the Woodlands?” Jaxon questioned, watching Valona, Alston and his war General Ivar intently as they didn’t have the information about the elves as of yet. Alston searched his brain, though the man did really only handle affairs within the kingdom itself. General Ivar shrugged, leaning back in his chair, looking as if the chair would collapse under the sheer weight of the armor and size of the man sitting in it. Valona smiled at the men, leaning across the table slightly.

“The Elven Kingdom is one that should never be trifled with, though under these circumstances, they may ally with us especially considering the rumors about Racht and his army. The demonic possessions are grounds alone for the Elves to strike let alone if they’ve already breached the Woodlands, they may need our aid just as much as we need theirs. One of their leaders, whom I’ve only heard of, she is one of The Five.” Jaxon tilted his head curiously and Alston’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

“Who are The Five?” Valona smirked at Ivar’s question and pointed to the map. “The Five are the only people outside of this kingdom that knew of King Jaxon’s existence.” 

“Then let’s seek out the leader of the Elven Kingdom. If she’s willing to ally herself with us, then we may have a fighting chance if what you say is correct. We could use all the help we can get at this point.” The four of them discussed the possibility of the elves not allying with them, though if they didn’t, it would cause doom for the entire kingdom for sure. 

The next morning Jaxon made his way to the stables, admiring the armored black steed that stood ready for him. It wouldn’t be a long journey to the entrance of the Woodlands; however, he had an entire army at his back, looking to him to ensure not only their safety but secure allies and keep their kingdom whole. As he sat atop his horse, he glanced down at his regal dark black armor with red and silver accents and markings along with the crest of his family on the chest. He wasn’t fully armored head to toe, Valona made sure to have something prepared for him that was less armor clad and more suited to his fighting style. One shoulder was exposed slightly while the other had a smaller size to it, accented with long black feathers at the edge. The other shoulder however had an accented leather wrapped piece that exposed his shoulder before the rest of the armor covered from his upper bicep back down. The armor was a healthy mix of leathers and metal, hugging his body tight but allowing significantly better movement, only housing metal at certain points, such as his shoes, gauntlet covers that still allowed for the leather gloves to show slightly and his boots. He didn’t wear a traditional helm either, opting for no head covering. For intimidation purposes and fun, Valona had the armor add a half face covering that he could pull up over his nose and hide half of his face. No one other than the nobles in Gahara and his army and people in his castle knew what Jaxon even looked like. This was fun for him however, as he could stand out among his fellow soldiers easily and let others know he wasn’t one to mess with.

He still felt far out of place at the front of his army, his sorceress at his side and his General at his other. His army marched forward, their morale on the brink as their new King led them to the Woodlands, considering this was the first chance Jaxon was leading them. Hours had passed as slowly as the ever-changing terrain and just as Jaxon was questioning this movement, his eyes laid upon the magnificence that was the Woodlands. Even at the borders, the lush trees and wrapping vines made for a fantasy scene in front of him. He could even swear that a unicorn may just emerge from the woods if they waited long enough. He glanced to Valona who nodded slightly, indicating it should be okay to approach. An arrow landed directly in front of Jaxon’s horse, a warning to otherwise.

“Stop trespassers! No one will move another inch forward.” A male voice rang out in the trees. As hard as Jaxon scanned the tree line however, he couldn’t see the face behind the voice. 

“We are not here for trouble…” Jaxon raised his arms in the air, showing he had no weapons in hand, only the two swords at his sides. “In fact, I am seeking your leaders. We come from Gahara in hopes to…” Jaxon was quickly interrupted. 

“Shut up human scum, you all are nothing but trouble.” Jaxon growled, catching a sideways glance from Valona.

“I assure you, as the King of Gahara, I am not scum. I will follow you willingly to your leader on my own if necessary, to show you that I am not here to cause trouble.” A laugh echoed from the forest, but no one made any moves. More than a moment passed before an elf emerged from the forest, his eyes narrowing at Jaxon. 

“We will take you to our Council, however, you leave your entire army behind, especially that wretched thing you call a sorceress. You speak out of turn and I personally will end you, stupid little King of Gahara.” Valona opened her mouth to protest but Jaxon quieted her, sliding from his horse and stepping forward to the elven man. He stood a little taller than Jaxon, though with the intense training Jaxon had just gone through thanks to Valona, he could easily snap the elf in two if the need were to arise. With his magical affinity, he could level the Woodlands in a matter of seconds if they tried to hurt him. Though, he would put his trust on the table up front, considering that one of The Five was just within reach and he could only hope that this person would not only have answers for him but help them as well.

Out of all the elves to be stuck with, Saelihn had been assigned to deal with the copper elves. She truly hated how compassionate they could be at times. They were not like the others that surrounded them. Some had abandoned their compassion and sought violence to reason with humans. While others took up protecting sacred grounds. All of it was a bunch of crap in her opinion. Saelihn had grown up in chaos and knew that humans only understood violence. Humans could not be reasoned with, no matter how calm and friendly they appeared. The council was full of fools and she did not understand fully the role of the Queen. She got the final say in the matter, but it was only after speaking with the council. Too much in her honest opinion. She was certain people would think the Underdark was no great place. At least growing up in the Underdark taught her how to deal with people like Racht. 

Saelihn was not supposed to act how she was raised. She was a spy after all and one that knew how to change her ways. Acting like a friend to all had gotten them nowhere. Racht had destroyed precious trees. While they were not as sacred as the tree growing in the middle of their lands, it was all seen as a warning. Yepha was their queen and Zoron was their king. His connection to nature was not as strong as Yepha. Saelihn watched in awe as the trees moved to her commands. The animals never ran away from her. In fact, it was if nature looked to her to protect them. Nature looked to all inhabitants of the Ela Alora for protection. It was a prized kingdom and the tree that grew in the middle of their kingdom proved it. While the tree was sentimental and glorious, Saelihn never cared for it. Hard to feel any real connection to anything. Especially when she had a high distaste for the wood elves, nature, and the way they dressed.

The only reason she was here was to protect what she knew worshippers of Vhaeraun wanted to get their hands on. Tanelia’s father was a high ranking noble in their society. While women were seen to be in charge, the fact that he could change into a dragon silenced everyone. Everyone knew of Vhaeraun's connection to dragons. To openly speak ill about him would have been a death sentence. Of course, there were the worshippers of Lolth that did not keep their tongues in check. While she should have sided with Lolth, Saelihn didn’t care for Lolth or Vhaeraun. None of that mattered. Rumor had circulated that during the past war, Filal had taken a wood elf for his lover. How it came about was still a mystery. The popular story was that he had been injured and the elf ignored who he was to treat him. They had one child together and would have had more had it not been for a demon interfering. Filal’s ability had been sealed away during the fight. He managed to allow his new wife and their child time to escape. Instead of going after them he returned to the Underdark. Since he had lost his ability, his power and position were soon taken from him. Of course, none felt more anger than his Drow wife. 

Rising a hand against a demon was practically unheard of in the Drow society. Especially since many feared them, and others respected them. To have one arrive at a party placed the host on a high pedestal. His wife was forced to gain power the best way possible. He had fathered many children with his Drow wife before his betrayal. None were as feared as Indair. From a young age Indair had proven to be just as cutthroat as her father. While the symbol of her dragon birthright appeared on her skin, she could never transform. That never stopped the little tyrant.

To ensure that order remained in the Underdark and that no worshiper of Vhaeraun gained the upper hand, Saelihn had been sent to Ela Alora to look after Tanelia. She doubted anyone else knew of Tanelia's existence, since information like that was only for the privileged. Caution was important and if the other elves learned of Tanelia's existence they would try to kill her. Tanelia was precious in more ways than she would ever know. Keeping Tanelia safe was something that Saelihn took very seriously. 

As Saelihn moved through the trees, she took note of a few soldiers from Racht’s army. These humans were always pushing the limit. They had taken some of their land and now they wanted to keep pushing. It was her duty to remind them of their place and she had no problem with doing such a thing. Saelihn gave a light signal for Tanelia to ready her bow. When the men approached, Saelihn jumped out of her hiding spot and began attacking them. To think that these men actually thought they had a chance against her. While Tanelia made her kills quick, Saelihn had no problem with making these men suffer. When she got to the last man, she cut his arm off and held her blade to his throat. 

“This is the final warning we are giving you all. Stay out of our lands or suffer the consequences.” 

Even though she wanted to kill him, she had been told to spare at least one of them. She was certain that Queen Yepha wanted more than one spared, but that was not her problem. Only one person truly needed to deliver a message. The others would surely mess up things and she did not have time for that. With the man out of sight, Tanelia jumped down from her tree and plucked her arrows from the dead bodies.

“I thought snow elves were a bit nicer.”

“We are but battling creatures in the snow changes some of us.”

“I heard that your land is infested with them.” 

“It just means that we will never starve. I think we are done scouting for the day and it is time to head back. Come along, the council will surely want to hear about this.” 

Saelihn placed her swords away and began moving towards their horses. Riding horses was something that she had grown used to despite preferring her riding lizard. As they moved back towards Ela Alora, Tanelia began to offer up a small prayer. She truly did not like killing people, but in times like this it was crucial. People had to die to keep what they prized protected. The council had pointed out that Racht had taken up dealing with a demon. What human would want to work with a creature like that was beyond her knowledge. It showed her that he was beyond saving. She wished that there could be some kind of favorable trait, but nothing came to mind. 

What troubled her more was the fact that the wild elves of Cyel Serin did not want to come to their aid. The wild elves did not live far from them and yet they chose not to help them. The Valenar were no better. The Valenar were known for their love of fighting and their stubborn nature. Their council did not truly get along with her council and thus no help was coming. Queen Yepha had told them all would be fine. Their tree would not burn and Racht would learn his place. Tanelia just hoped that the words of her queen were true. After all, Queen Yepha did not appear to be a liar. She had managed to keep them safe despite the ridicule from people around her. After all, the wood elves that had left to take up action against Racht had returned and appeared to be a bit humbler. She had been kind enough to allow one to join her council. Tanelia just hoped that they put an end to this before countless lives were lost. As she found herself getting lost in her thoughts, a sudden nut struck the side of her head and Tanelia glared at Saelihn. 

“Terrible reflexes. If we were in battle, that could have killed you. More things we will work on when we get back.” 

“We are not in battle, Saelihn. We are riding back through our own territory.” 

“You never know, the enemy always strikes when your guard is down.” 

“If you say so. Next time just say my name.” 

“Takes the fun out of the moment. I will try to keep that in mind.” Saelihn was about to say more when she picked up on the fast movement ahead of them. For a moment Saelihn wondered if Atrin had caught anyone. 

Out of all the wood elves, Atrin was Saelihn’s favorite. He was brutal and harsh. His time away from Ela Alora had brought out a side that she rather liked. His kill count was slowly catching up to her own. Even though most elves chose not to keep count, the ones that did made this all the more interesting. On top of loving his ethics, she had slept with him a few times. One thing she did respect about the wood elves was their view on relationships. Nothing really lasted and thus they jumped from partner to partner without getting jealous. Instead of thinking about the fun times she was sure to have, she chose to focus on who Atrin had with him. As they got closer, she noticed that Tanelia did her best to appear emotionless. During times of war, lack of emotions on one’s face was important. It was just a shame that Tanelia had not fully mastered such a skill. With time, she was certain she would be able to get it through the female’s head.

“Atrin, are you trying to gain favor with Queen Yepha or the council. You were just promoted to captain; I doubt they will move you up so quickly. Even if you are bringing a human with you.” 

“This is the King of Gahara. While I am sure it will be a waste of time, there are rules we must follow.” 

Saelihn looked towards the man and made sure not to linger long. She knew about this king in ways that only a select few knew. Talking about such matters was out of the question. When Tanelia opened her mouth, she merely let out a low sigh. 

“He looks rather young for a King.” 

“Most humans are. Then they get to a certain age and they go from being pleasing to the eyes to disgusting. Think of it almost like looking at mold on your favorite bread. Best way to describe them.” 

Saelihn did not bother to lower her voice. Humans aged terribly in her opinion. There was a reason she stopped messing with them. On top of that, their stamina was also bad. Talks like that were things that she was sure Tanelia would not understand. After all, because of her bloodline she was treated differently. It was just a shame that she had to be deceived to be protected. Instead of thinking about that, Saelihn focused on what was to come. The King would be given a chance to speak with the council. When all of that was done, if he chose, a meal would be prepared for him and a chance to rest. Wood elves could be so kind in her opinion. While they were pleasing to the eyes, their less than flashy living was sure to be something that many noticed.

Jaxon hadn’t been prepared for the sight of Elven females as he glanced up at the wondrous sight that rode upon the horses that approached. He had to force himself not to start smiling, realizing the mere beauty that had surrounded him. These lucky male elves got to bed these stunning creatures and Jaxon couldn’t help the jealousy that started to swirl within him. He had to force himself to focus however, considering he wasn’t supposed to be here to bed the women of the land, he was here to seek aid against Racht and his armies. If he happened to catch one after they agreed to ally with him, if, then he’d take advantage. 

For now, he had to establish some form of integrity, and thus he just watched as the elves talked poorly of the human race and how they ‘molded.’ This made Jaxon chuckle aloud. He didn’t speak; however, he did respect the threat the elf Atrin had provided and thus he wanted to at least make it to the council before speaking. He had plenty of time to defend humanity from silly words after he had come for what he needed. The looks the elves had given him after his laugh were threatening enough as well, though as he glanced around, one had the faintest of smirks on her lips. His eyes caught the tanned skinned elf’s and he forced himself not to linger long. She was stunning and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was just bad at hiding her facial expressions or not. As they made their way into Ela Alora, Jaxon had to force his eyes to stay on the path he was walking, though occasionally they wandered to the sight around him. He had never seen structures and design in such a way. Hell, he was a former blacksmith in Gahara and no one in Gahara made it past the Kingdom’s walls enough to accurately describe much other than grass.

While Saelihn looked upon Ela Alora with indifference, Tanelia was impressed each time she came home. There were no jewels decorating any of the buildings. There was no sense in using gold or any metal. Wood could be used to create masterpieces and the elves here knew just how to do that. They managed to blend homes into the area around them. They made nature stand out around them. Above all else, they made sure not to take away from the beauty of nature. The building they were heading to would take them past their sacred tree. 

While she was filled with awe, she could not help but to think about the way the human king had chuckled. She didn’t know that Saelihn had cracked a joke. His laughter was amusing, and she could not stop the smirk that appeared on her face. She had corrected it before Saelihn could say anything to her. When they reached the meeting room, Tanelia moved beside Saelihn to take up her seat. Since she had matters to report, she did not have to sit with the other elves. It felt nice to separate from them at times. At the same time, it also meant that eyes would be placed on her. That was a feeling she would never get used to. Since this was a meeting with a human, the place had filled up rather quickly. It was not often that wood elves got to see a human and the same could be said about humans. People knew they existed, but they never knew how they looked. She could hear people chattering around them, but the talking ceased when King Zoron walked in. Beside him a white fawn walked and took up kneeling beside him as if it was his pet.

Jaxon could feel his jaw tighten as he avidly and internally tried to keep from gawking like a commoner. It was the most annoying thing he had to remind himself of, he was King of Gahara, bastard son of Geoffrey Coventry. He may not have known much of his lineage other than their repetitive descent into madness passed from King to King, yet he had to hold onto some semblance of honor, pride and respect, especially when dealing with foreign affairs. Being his usual self would not suffice and would probably get him killed, at least until his name was widespread among the many mouths of the world. Until then, this new King had to hold onto what he believed would help him the most. They had finally made it into where the Council sat, the seats filling in slowly, each unique elf and even animal making Jaxon stare in wonder.

Queen Yepha, the white fawn, worked in mysterious ways. No one dared to question why she took such form. In fact, it was an honor to gaze up at her. In that form all knew that she would not talk. She always listened and judged. Instead of focusing on her, Tanelia looked back towards the human King. It took some courage for sure to stand up and speak with the council. While they were normally nice to humans, war had changed the ideas of some. Jaxon’s reason for coming was understandable. With the army growing, some form of partnership had to be formed. The last thing Tanelia wanted was for humans and elves to be harmed.

“Tell us…apparent King of Gahara, what brings you to our doorstep?” A male elf called forth, staring at the human king in his midst after everyone around him had settled. Jaxon stood alone in the center of the room, yet many eyes and ears watched and listened to every move and word intently. 

“Thank you for seeing me. I am Jaxon Coventry, newly appointed King in Gahara. I don’t know if any of you know about my father and my family’s passing, but since, there has been a major threat to my Kingdom. King Racht in the North has been raining hell down on his way to Gahara. From what I understand, he is looking to take my Kingdom as well as any others that stand in his way. My scouts had alerted me that Racht made his way into the Woodlands and I would like to implore you to ally with Gahara to fight against this massive threat.” A few chuckles had filled the hall. Who here would honestly side with more humans in this sort of fight? Another on the council spoke after a few moments of silence. 

“Racht’s army is quite large, however, what makes you think we should ally with you? Humans are notoriously destructive and two-faced.” Jaxon nodded, digging deep in his metaphoric pocket to establish as much of a decent argument as he could. There was only one thing he could really think of that may give him the upper hand. Luckily, Racht’s sorcerer was described in his family’s texts in the orbs and knowing that the elves hated sorcerers, this could work in his favor.

The laughter of some elves was expected. Humans were considered inferior to a degree. They lacked magical powers. The ones that had magical abilities were looked down upon. Mainly because they knew that those humans acquired such powers through some ill sought manner. Now was not the time to have any form of thinking. They were meant to guide humans and help them out. The other elves could mock, but wood elves should be helpful. Yet, as Tanelia looked at the faces of her council members, she could tell that help was the last thing on their mind.

Dhaatran was a wood elf that acted like a Valenar. He thought of combat when he should have thought of peace. The fact that he looked down on humans was not a hidden factor. Unlike the elves around him, he had a bit more muscle. His tan robe clung to his form to act a sign of intimidation, that much Tanelia was sure of. When Jaxon opened his mouth once more, the room fell silent. This silence was not one that Tanelia truly liked. 

“Racht’s army is not just made of men. His sorcerer that is travelling with him is a notorious Necromancer, working with demonic powers and raising the dead to aid them in their march. Many Kingdoms have already fought and lost to Racht’s armies, entire cities decimated in his wake and yet, why is his army only growing if he is killing everyone in his path? His sorcerer needs to be stopped. My sorceress Valona and myself can handle Racht’s sorcerer and the evil he is attempting to spread. My army is ready to face anything dead or alive to ensure not only the safety of Gahara but the surrounding Woodlands as well. This is not just my own home I want to protect. Ally with me and we can protect both of our lands and people against our common enemy.” Jaxon could usually talk circles around anyone when he really wanted something, but that usually only involved sex or food and thus, a lack of respect mostly. He had a silver tongue, no doubt, yet he had to be honest and respectful in this new land, making it much harder to judge his audience. 

“You may have dealt with shit humans in the past, this I understand. Most of my race is greedy and selfish and don’t care about the amount of evil they spread, but please know that I am not everyone else. I truly want peace in my Kingdom and anyone else’s who aids me in these plights. I won’t stop unless they put my head on a spike to ensure the safety of those around me, human, elf, or otherwise.” Jaxon paused, hoping his words had reached the elves. He stared up at the council who just watched him intently. The room was silent, and he had to force himself from shifting uncomfortably. Jaxon’s eyes rested on the elf that had spoken ill of the human race, trying desperately to read her stone-cold features. Even so, he still couldn’t help but wonder more about her as she sat in front of him. Who had done her so wrong to hate humanity as she did, hell what about the rest of them?

The word sorceress produced a rather negative connotation among them. Sorceress did not have primal magic and thus were highly distrusted. If he wanted to sway the council, he was better off saying that he was working with a shaman or even a druid. The fact that he had not, caused the council to look upon him with distrust in their eyes. They were already dealing with one lunatic; did they truly want to deal with a potential backstabber. 

“Moving words from a human who partners with a sorceress.” Qinnas was an older female wood elf. Her robe was a brownish green and her silver hair spoke of her age. She did not hold any form of disdain in her voice as she spoke to him. It was clear that the word sorceress did not sit well with her. No sooner had she paused, Dhaatran seized the moment to speak once more. 

“A human and a sorceress think that they can stand up against Racht and his army. How foolish you both are. The only thing you two can ever succeed in doing is adding more people to his army. Useless humans provide more value it seems when they are dead. If your head on a spike is what you seek, then by all means go for it. We are looking to strengthen ourselves in this battle, not weaken ourselves. There is nothing you or your sorceress can do that will be of benefit to us.”

The murmur around them started to grow until suddenly the deer stood up and Queen Yepha allowed her presence to be known. Unlike the others around her, the dress that accented her form was a whitish green. Her hair was white in color and a complete contrast to her cooper skin. As she spoke, the grace of her voice was enough to soothe the troublesome tension in the room. 

“Dhaatran, we must not jump to conclusions. A human has come to use seeking help. We must not forget the importance of compassion. If someone comes to us with talks of peace on their tongue, we must never turn them away. Especially in times like this.” Dhaatran did not bother to say anything else. Once everyone seemed to calm down, Queen Yepha turned to look towards her two captains. “Atrin and Saelihn, do you have anything to report?” Atrin wasted no time on giving the report he felt his queen had a right to hear. 

“For the most part our borders to the south are safe. I have heard of no problems with our east and west borders either. With them being intact, there is no reason to feel panic.” 

“The only issue that we have comes from the north. Racht’s army grows restless and they continue to push against us. I have delivered the message as instructed, but that will not hold for a long time.” Dhaatran looked upon the two captains with favor in his eyes.

“As you have heard Queen Yepha, we have no reason to panic. Word has not come back from the other elves. If we are to face Racht, they will be of more use to us than this human army.” Tanelia had sat quietly for some time, but she could not remain silent any longer. 

“May I speak?” Queen Yepha motioned for Tanelia to say what was on her mind. “While you all say that there is no reason for us to panic, have we not forgotten the damage that Racht has caused. The damage to our lands is minor compared to the human race. King Coventry has come to us asking for help. It is not right for us to turn our back on him because of some childish view. We are not Valenar and we are not wild elves. Humans are not beneath us and if they need help then it is our right to help them.” Qinnas smiled towards Tanelia, but her smile faltered when she looked towards Jaxon. 

“A human we would help. He has among his court a sorceress and they cannot be trusted. One wrong whisper in his ear and he will drive a knife in our backs.” 

“Or we could find ourselves with a potential ally. We must not forget that there exists a race of elves that cannot be trusted. Our relationship with dwarves comes at a risk and yet we still take it.” Dhaatran shook his head in a disapproving manner. 

“I would rather trust a dwarf than this human.” 

Tanelia turned towards Saelihn who had a look of indifference in her eyes. Out of frustration Tanelia stopped speaking in the human tongue and spoke in a language that only other elves could hear. She did not speak to the council; her words were directed towards Saelihn.

“You of all people know what we have seen. If anyone can speak reason into this council, it is you. You may not be a wood elf, but you know of the problem we all face. Do not allow your tongue to freeze now. Not when it runs hot at your leisure.” 

Saelihn merely looked towards Tanelia when she spoke to her. She had remained silent for many reasons. As a Szarkai, she held a lot of responsibilities. When she did things, she did not think of an instant reward, she thought of the bigger picture. The big picture at the moment was not truly saving the wood elf kingdom. When a szarkai moved they plotted for centuries to come. They laid a silver web that would interconnect in ways that no one would understand. In that moment, laying a silver thread was up in the air. Helping Tanelia meant that the wood elves would have a new ally. One that would help keep Racht at bay. How in turn would that help the Drow. If the Drow decided to attack the wood elves, then there would be a problem because she stepped in. If she did not step in, then Racht army would grow stronger and possibly kill the wood elves. Which meant a stronger army of undead and more problems from the Drow. Dealing with the undead was something that no one liked. Unless of course the Drow aligned themselves with Racht. After all, some actually did not mind that he was connected to demons. It would mean more power in their eyes. Relationships with demons was a complicated thing and she hated thinking about it.

When she looked towards Jaxon, she thought about the information that she had been given. He was more than a human and anyone that had him was sure to be stronger. No telling what kind of offspring he could produce. Worshippers of Lolth would be thrilled that was for sure. She did not care about them. If she formed an alliance with him, she was going to have to do so in a way that would benefit her more than the wood elves. While she had mentally decided that helping him was better, she had not voiced it. If she would have voiced it, then her actions would be called into question. It was far better to make Tanelia beg her for help. It all played in her favor and kept her from looking like she knew anything. After all, rushing to help a human that she looked down on would look rather fishy. With Tanelia’s comment one could say the reason was rather hard to ignore. 

“No need to scold me Tanelia. My tongue runs just fine.” Saelihn had spoken in plain English so that Jaxon did not think they were plotting something. She moved so that she was facing both the queen and the king. “Compassion like you said is important. Reason is also highly crucial. You all used to number in the thousands before elves went their separate ways. Yes, some returned, but not enough to make you the force that you once were. I am not saying that this is still not a great kingdom. Ela Alora still demands respect no matter what race you are. What Dhaatran fails to mention to our human king is that we did not just lose land. We all know that during that fight we lost good elves. Former captains and commanders. Mostly commanders Dhaatran led when he left us. Racht does not just have an army of undead humans, he has elves and other races that he has crossed. This is war and King Jaxon will need our help. We cannot wait until we are caged in to strike. Striking now is crucial. It is what needs to be done.”

Atrin’s glare relaxed the more Saelihn spoke. Their secret was out and there was no taking it back now. Queen Yepha spoke in elven tongue to King Zoron. When the couple was done speaking, she looked towards Jaxon. 

“A noble request shows that you have wisdom despite your age. We will aid you in this battle.” 

Six gold glass were placed on a table in the center of the room. The queen and king stood in front of two of the cups and motioned for Jaxon to take up one of the cups. Before they touched their cups, Yepha had more to say. “I extend to you my two captains, Atrin and Saelihn. Today we have a new captain which I am sure will be the voice of reason during this war. Tanelia please take up your cup.” Tanelia could not hide the look on her face when she moved to grab her cup. Had Queen Yepha truly just promoted her. It was a true honor and she hoped she could make her proud. While the others looked happy Atrin had something to get off of his chest. 

“If I may speak, allow me to say this. King Coventry, we serve Queen Yepha and thus answer only to her. We are not your subjects and you will not talk down to us. I will see you as my equal until this matter is settled. For the sake of keeping people safe, I move that we use Ela Alora to prepare for battle.” Atrin did not hide the fact that he did not trust going to King Coventry’s kingdom. The fact that he had a sorceress still left many feeling uneasy. As Atrin spoke, Jaxon’s steel eyes glanced over him, wondering if the elf understood what an alliance was.

“I’m not here to command anyone but my own army. Since this is an alliance, this is two kingdoms working with each other on mutual ground, I’d be a little annoyed if you didn’t see me as an equal in this. However, I do appreciate this opportunity all of you have given me so let’s work together in peace as we fight to protect this land.” 

“Keep an open mind Atrin. Tanelia will ensure that you stay stable and wise in your actions. Now, our alliance with King Coventry can be sealed. Let no one break this pack that has been formed today. It shall not end until we have peace.” King Zoron spoke with a smile on his face and motioned for the people among them to drink from their glasses. 

The wine was sweet and yet strong at the same time. When they were done, Queen Yepha turned towards King Coventry. “There is much that we will need to talk about privately. For now, how can we be of service to you?” A feast could be prepared for Jaxon if he wanted it. He had access to any part of their kingdom since he was now viewed as a guest and an ally.

Jaxon nodded slightly at the elves in front of him, drinking as soon as he was instructed. The wine had such an incredible flavor that Jaxon couldn’t help the frown set as he had drunk everything in the cup faster than he had intended. He glanced up at the queen about her question, pondering the thought for a moment. 

“Other than knowing that my army is safe to set up camp, there really isn’t anything I need. However, if you have more of this wine, I will not be opposed to more of this.” He chuckled pointing at the cup. “I need to let my army and my sorceress know that everything has settled well, and we will be able to rest easy knowing there won’t be any arrows in our backs. In all seriousness, there is much to be discussed and I request that you allow my sorceress at that table when the time comes. She knows far more about this war we are at than anyone else and I understand the discomfort you have, however she is part of my own council in my kingdom, it wouldn’t be right to cast her to the side when she is the reason I’ve been able to even get this far.”

Jaxon gave a polite small bow towards the King and Queen. Respect was key in any of this moving forward and he was sure Valona had no ill intent towards the elves considering if she did, she wouldn’t have offered the information on them to forge an alliance as it was. Jaxon turned towards the elf who spoke in his defense, the newest of the Captains, Tanelia and smiled over at her. 

“Congratulations on your promotion to Captain and thank you for speaking up for this alliance. I believe I can honestly say that without you, this may not have happened.” Jaxon was not a hard to read man in his most relaxed situations, with enough drink or a decent enough atmosphere he allowed the walls to fall just enough to really enjoy the moment. He didn’t hide his clear admiration for her though he was smart enough not to openly say it in front of everyone. It took another moment before he pried his eyes from her and nodded towards Saelihn. “Thank you as well, I’m grateful to know that there are still voices of reason at times like these.”

“You are very welcome. You spoke with a passion I have never seen before and thus it was only right that we helped you out. I am sure that Valona will be a great addition to our alliance. While we have not had great experiences, it is best to never hold someone else's actions against another person.” Tanelia offered him a warm smile and turned to look at Saelihn when he spoke to her. The respect in his words caused Tanelia’s smile to grow. While she was smiling, Saelihn’s facial features never changed. 

“Save your breath. I only care about what you do on the battlefield. If I have to pull an arrow out of your backside, I will be highly upset.” Speaking up for Jaxon placed her name on the line. The last thing she ever wanted to do was appear weak. Bloodline or not, her reputation came first. She was certain she could spin a web in a different way. This was the best way; she could only hope that he delivered. If he did not, she would find a way to whip him into shape. Given what she could see, he looked like he could hold his own. Looks could be deceiving, especially on humans.

While he understood she wasn’t fond of humans, a part of him still couldn’t not look at her with a high amount of admiration as well. For someone to have a clear distaste for something and still be willing to utilize that something, meant a wisdom and understanding that most normal people didn’t understand. Humans were like that, unwilling to understand because they were so caught up in their own emotions and selfishness usually that nothing else meant shit for them. Jaxon however, with years of blacksmithing and temperamental steel under his hammer understood that patience and sometimes just doing things from a different angle no matter how uncomfortable could mean something better in the long run. 

He was slightly thankful for the sigh of relief after a moment as everyone began to disperse. This meant that private talk was nearing, and he needed Valona to be at his side. However, he didn’t need to travel far to gather Valona as his magic could do it for him. One such spell was quite fun to maneuver during his training time within the orb that lay around his neck. The orb essentially stopped all time for him allowing him to train or educate himself on magic for what felt like weeks at a time as only minutes passed in the real world. During this time, he learned to summon a small messenger bird, completely created by the light, glowing bright as it spawned in his hand, taking his words and zooming to the sorceress that awaited him just outside the forest.

As the room cleared out, Saelihn noticed what he was doing. It was clear that the others were not seeing this and to keep her cover, she did the same. When he moved away from them, Saelihn turned her attention towards Tanelia.

“One of these days your compassion will be the death of you.” 

“That is a mean thing to say. I am sure once you start drinking and the festival begins, you will smile.” Tanelia rested her hand on Saelihn’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. As Saelihn was moving towards her room, King Zoron stopped her. 

“Yepha has requested your presence.” 

“Well this shall be good.” Saelihn knew it would not be wise to leave Queen Yepha waiting for long. Matters of Jaxon’s bloodline was something she had spoken of to the queen a long time ago. It was best to lay a small web as soon as she arrived. Granted that was over twenty years ago, but it was effective. To inform Queen Yepha that she was part of the Five was essential. While the queen believed she was a snow elf that learned such a thing, Saelihn felt it was best to leave matters just the way they were. Her true race was no one’s business. If anyone ever found out, she had no problem with killing them. She had worked too hard to lose everything. A Szarkai that messed up on their mission, faced a punishment that was far worse than any Drow could ever imagine.

Jaxon followed the queen to where she wanted to speak privately, and as if on que Valona strode confidently through the halls with many glares following her steps. No one said a word however as she bowed deeply to the queen and to Jaxon. 

“Thank you for allowing me in your presence your majesty.” Valona spoke kindly, making her appreciation quite apparent, though it felt weird for Jaxon to see Valona bow to anyone. She was usually outspoken, feisty and all around bossy when it came to his castle, yet she was making it a point that she was here as an ally and Jaxon hoped the elves could understand that Valona was at least far from the worst sorceress in the world, even if they still didn’t like her kind.

When she reached the room, Saelihn noticed the round glass table in the middle of the room. Around it was white wooden chairs and there was one seat left open for her. 

“King Zoron informed me that you requested my presence. How may I be of service.” The sound of the door closing seemed to be what Queen Yepha was waiting for. She motioned for Saelihn to take her seat. Once everyone was seated, Queen Yepha spoke up. 

“King Coventry, your bloodline is something that only a few know about. While you hold great power, it does not mean that everyone will view you as a friend. Wood elves are compassionate and understanding when the time calls for it. Even though you hold questionable blood in your vain, you are still human. You are compassionate and nothing like the enemy we are dealing with. As long as you remain sane and a friend to us, our alliance will hold strong. Should any of it ever come into question, then our alliance shall end. As a fellow ruler, you should understand the lives of my people come first. I have spoken for the Wood elves, what do you have to say Saelihn.” Saelihn turned and looked towards Jaxon.

“I wondered for a while and years ago, I met your father. Before he turned into someone I wanted nothing to do with. He was an interesting human that much is for sure. Like most humans, he had his moments when he annoyed me. His good moments caused me to look past those flaws. It annoys me to this day that he managed to lose his mind. Reflecting on the past does nothing. I am aware of who you are the threat you could be. As long as you remain the way you are, I see no problem with offering my assistance to you. After all, you are not some needy human that will come crying to me every time you get hurt. Or at least I hope.” 

Saelihn could not help to poke fun at his human bloodline. While he was special, it was still there. Saelihn could only hope that his human blood did not make him weak in any regard. After all, she was still rather serious about having to cover him. She had stood up for him and she was not going to tolerate any form of loss. Instead of thinking about that, she turned to look at Queen Yepha when she spoke up. 

“King Coventry, it is clear that two of us are on your side. What flows through you is not the reason that I formed this alliance. Do not think, I will not bring this alliance to an end should any promise be broken. Now as for your sorceress Valona, I heard what you said. After watching her, I see that she is different. Serpents never pose a threat at the beginning. Since you trust her, I will not treat her any differently. Understand if she poses a threat, we will distance ourselves from you.” Queen Yepha paused for a moment and looked towards Valona. “Understand that blood magic is not tolerated in any way. You must never touch an elf or else there will be dire consequences.” 

The tone that came from Queen Yepha was something Saelihn had never heard before. There was no compassion in her voice. It was clear that her words were more than a warning. The longer Saelihn thought over it, the more she realized why elf blood was off limits. To say Tanelia’s name would arouse suspicion. Not even Saelihn was supposed to know that secret. She was doing a grand job of acting like she knew nothing. To band blood for everyone was a perfect way of ensuring that the queen’s secret never came to light. Once her threat was issued, Queen Yepha’s face returned to normal. She looked towards Jaxon with a soft smile on her face. 

“Talks of battle can be done with my captains in the morning. You have the elf army at your disposal. Since we will be going into battle soon, it is only right that we each relax. As our guest Valona, you are invited to attend this evening's festival. More wine will be given to you King Coventry. I will have a servant show you the layout of the castle. To ensure that everyone remains safe, Valona you will be staying in a room across from your king. No one will bother you because of the alliance. Feel free to move freely through the halls. You have access to everything, but the sacred tree. Nothing personal, but only select elves are allowed to touch it. You may view it, but please keep your distance.”

The sacred tree that was stationed in the center of Ela Alora gave energy to the forest. It also kept them protected from certain magical creatures. The slight hint of dark magic could cause the tree to fall. Without their protection, Ela Alora and its inhabitants would not be safe. The tree healed and protected, and it was the Wood Elves duty to keep the tree protected. Their alliance was sure to provide them with the numbers they needed to ensure the safety of Ela Alora. 

Jaxon had managed a lot more than he had anticipated and the events were turning to be more in his favor. Even though he sat quiet and listened, this night was sure to not end anytime soon.


	4. The Elves of Ela Alora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaxon fights for his alliance with the Elves of Ela Alora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you all for reading and leaving kudos to the story! Tiggerluvme and I have been working hard at getting this story off the ground and we love the feedback! Please let us know how we are doing! We hope you all continue to enjoy this original story and don't worry, there is plenty of fun to come!_

Jaxon listened intently as Queen Yepha and Saelihn spoke. He understood his bloodline was not that of anything great in terms of their notoriety. Yes, the Coventry line was known for being incredibly powerful, as if the magic showed up overnight and immediately the succession line was taught to understand their magic. However, he knew it didn’t just show up overnight. Something had granted this level of power to his family and thus, they honed it and turned it into an ultimate weapon that served them for a short number of years for each King’s reign. The sanity loss alone drove many to end their lives after just a few short years. It seemed his father managed to control a significant amount more than the previous generations and considering he had been murdered, Jaxon couldn’t say his father had a bad run at life, just a bad end. 

Jaxon smirked at Saelihn’s statement. He was not some needy human begging for assistance, hell, begging wasn’t something Jaxon had ever done lightly. For his short 24 years on this planet, even he had standards albeit even in immense poverty. Begging for anything was absurd, he could just show up to the tavern and with one look the matron had taken pity and fed him, he didn’t even need to ask. Though as he watched Saelihn speak, he couldn’t help but be entranced by the beauty that sat before him. Her calculated movements and watchful eyes gave a mysterious aura that Jaxon knew he had to know at some point. Now that they were allies, he would make it a point to learn much more about her. 

“As much as I’m sure you’ve seen humans cry, don’t fret, I’ll die on the battlefield with a smile on my face long before I allow myself to show pathetic weakness.” 

Although the feeling in the air shifted as Queen Yepha had become quite serious. Jaxon glanced to Valona who continued to wear quite the poker face. Her usual playful attitude was no longer there and in place was a serious yet humbled expression.

“Blood magic is taboo even in the sorcery world, your majesty. I refuse to practice such magic though there are many sorcerers who believe they can control such a method yet have always failed with their lives in the end. The Coventry line was given to me to protect at all costs, though I will not go to underhanded means to keep King Jaxon safe. Should he die, his life will end honorably, and I will not get involved should it compromise my morals and my promises.” 

Valona certainly spoke the truth, hell, she had mentioned this before to Jaxon in private. His life was something she would protect at all costs, though even he somewhat questioned whether or not she would uphold the promise of not using underhanded means. She had a motive for keeping him alive on top of her promises, while she may have sugar coated her morals for now, even he had to wonder if she would stop at nothing for her eternal youth. 

As if on cue, a knock was heard at the door and Queen Yepha gave the command for another elf to enter. A rather young female dressed in a silk like dress walked into the room with a smile on her face. 

“Is it time for me to show our guests around?” 

Queen Yepha stood up and looked towards King Coventry. 

“Whenever you are ready to attend the festival you will know the way. I hope you will put on different clothing. After all, one cannot relax in armor.”

Queen Yepha offered him a slight nod of the head and turned to leave the room. Instead of seeking out King Zoron to speak about what was discussed, she looked for Tanelia. It did not surprise her to see Tanelia in a dress that would leave many elves full of desire. The men knew to keep their hands off of her. No one was ever allowed to touch her, and they never would be. 

“You look as if you are ready to break more hearts again.” 

Tanelia allowed her fingers to run over her dress.

“I am just ready to dance with everyone. It is the least I can do after all. Forgive my forwardness, is something wrong. You never speak to me unless something is on your mind.”

“I will try to change that habit. I just wanted you to understand that what happened the last time we faced King Racht was not your fault. I made you captain because you know how to act. Don’t allow the past to loom over you. I am sure you will always do what is right.” 

Queen Yepha held Tanelia’s face in her hands. She knew from the way that Tanelia spoke that their last battle still bothered her. The past needed to be left in the past. Their next battle was sure to go better since they would have more help. 

“I won’t let you down.”

“You never have.” 

Tanelia watched as Queen Yepha left the room. She glanced back at her reflection and allowed her smile to return once more. In the past they didn’t have any help. Certain elves allowed their egos to get in the way. With Jaxon at their side, she was sure that things would turn out for the best. After all, he seemed to have a plan of attack. While she wanted to think about everything, Tanelia knew it was best to keep a clear mind. Tonight, was all about the festival and celebrating their newfound alliance. On top of that, she was also going to celebrate the fact that she was captain. It was a dream come true and she planned on dancing the night away.

As the Queen had made her final remarks before leaving the room, Jaxon watched after her for a moment, eyeing the frail little elf that awaited Jaxon’s movements. He glanced back at Saelihn however, having more pressing questions. 

“You said you knew my father and that he was an interesting man. Tell me, were you one of the Five and if so, what do you know about me?”

Valona’s hand had reached Jaxon’s shoulder before Saelihn could respond.

“My King, I think tonight can be more about enjoying the festivities than business. Let’s enjoy our time here for the evening and focus on the pressing matters in the morning.” 

Jaxon somewhat glared at Valona, though she was not the type to do or say anything if it wasn’t necessary in that moment. Jaxon had to give it to her, she had a way of turning his attention to other matters regardless of his desire to learn. He stood up this time, nodding at Saelihn.

“I apologize, relaxing isn’t something I’m known for, maybe you can help me learn later.”

It never ceased to amaze Saelihn how people always had questions for her. It made sense that he wanted to know if she was part of the Five. It was a simple demand and yet it was not. There was a lot she would have to go into. In a place like this, there was no telling who was listening. While she could tell him what she knew, she did not. She took advantage of the fact that Valona had decided to change the topic. It was good to know that they would be going off to enjoy the festival. Saelihn needed some time to relax herself and she was not in the mood to spill her guts out. The comment that Jaxon made and the way he looked at her caused her to smirk at him. He was a bold man, that much she would have to give him. 

He smirked as Valona shot him a glare. He knew the look. It was not a jealousy look; it was a look of disbelief that his flirting had sprung free in the midst of his new allies. She said nothing however, rolling her eyes and leaving him to his own demise should he say the wrong thing; she was not going to get involved. Jaxon had finally exited the room, following the little elf on the grand tour of the city. It was far more expansive than he had anticipated, noting already that his army had mingled with the elves, many of which were in awe of their surroundings. Valona and Ivar would ensure nothing, but respect would be had, for one false move could end the peace. Once he finally had his own room to himself, he quickly opened the chest Valona had ensured made its way to the King’s room, housing much more comfortable attire. He was thankful to be out of the armor, yet the lavish “relaxing” clothes he had still forced him into a different posture. As King he had to hold his stature much differently than that of his fellow soldiers.

Once he was gone, Saelihn made her way towards her chamber. She needed to be alone for a few minutes so that she could think over things. It was rather hard to do any form of thinking with the music coming from the grounds. Elves truly knew how to throw a festival. While she wanted to be annoyed, the music caused her to feel rather relaxed. In order to look her best for the festival, Saelihn decided to freshen up. Her hair was braided up in certain areas to help accent her face. She liked that her dress showed her figure more than her tunic did. The fact that her breast was pushed up tended to cause many elves to stare at her. Saelihn did not shy away from showing off her body. It was the reason she had more lovers than anyone else in this place.

While this outfit teased men, it was nothing compared to what she usually wore. Drow armor was protective but highly tempting at the same time. Of course, her outfit was different than normal attire. Her outfit was white and was not designed for battle. Most of her skin was shown off. The skirt that she wore was a sheer white that showed off her undergarments. The best part of her outfit was the chain that ran over her skirt. They held spikes and if she needed, she could use them to beat an elf or creature into submission. 

As a Szarkai, she was trained to run away from fights. After tasting blood, she stopped running away. Snow elves were supposed to be fierce and if she ran others would have questioned her. Unlike other Szarkai that took on a role, Saelihn practically lived by it. Cold in nature was easy for her since that was how most Szarkai were. Even though they lived different lives than the common Drow, their lives were still hard. Failure resulted in a punishment she did not want to learn about. They had to serve their house and were nothing more than glorified slaves in her eyes. No one knew of their existence and Drow praised them in a way that she hated. While the Drow would not raise a hand to harm them, other Szarkai would, especially if they had a point to prove.

This outfit that she had on was modest in her eyes. If she could tear away some of the clothing, she would be happy. While she wanted to show off more, she had grown used to keeping other elves guessing. After looking over herself once more, Saelihn began to move towards the festival grounds. The sooner she got some wine into her system, the better things would be for her. At least during these times, she did not have to worry about Tanelia. She would finally be able to relax. When the time was right, she would ease away and enjoy some time on her own. 

Tanelia had no idea where Saelihn was and she was not worried about her friend. Saelihn moved at her own pace. With the way she acted, it would not surprise Tanelia if Saelihn was off enjoying the pleasure of a few male elves. Since she met Saelihn, she noticed that Saelihn never really enjoyed festivals the way that she did. Tanelia figured it was because Snow Elves did not hold such festivals. With the environment they lived in, having such festivals could put them in danger. 

Instead of thinking about Saelihn, Tanelia finished the elixir in her cup. It was important that she drank this elixir before the sun went down. Queen Yepha had provided the elixir for her for as long as she could remember. It helped her feel stabilized and allowed her to enjoy her life. Or at least, that was what Queen Yepha had told her. Tanelia had no reason to not believe the queen. She had done so much for her and Tanelia was forever grateful for the kindness she was shown. With her elixir gone, Tanelia figured that now was a good time to enjoy herself. She had barely stepped into the room when a male elf stepped up to her. Dancing with them was the least she could do. It allowed her to feel connected with them, even if she could never experience the pleasure that Saelihn talked about.

Jaxon made his way towards the festivities, quite thankful for the wine as it flowed to his glass freely. His eyes scanned the room and took in his surroundings of his soldiers and the elves getting to know one another. Atrin’s look of discontent making Jaxon fairly amused. As the peace went on, he was sure the two of them would have much more respect for one another, especially after they fought side by side. However, these human strangers were invading Atrin’s home and Jaxon couldn’t blame Atrin for his feelings. As Jaxon looked around, taking in many smiles cast his way from eager little elves, one in particular caught his attention. 

He made his move instantly, making his way to the stunning dark-haired elf that had held the sweet smile he was very much intrigued in. It was hard not to enjoy the sight, especially in the dress she had worn, hugging all the right curves and places. Even Jaxon felt the slight twinge of nerves twirl through him as he approached, though those feelings alone would certainly not make him waver. He held his hand out, bowing slightly as he took in every lesson of respect Valona had practically beat into him just days prior. 

“If I could be so bold to request a dance from such beauty?”

He smiled up at the elf, Tanelia with the smile that had captivated more than enough human girls in his day, he had only hoped it would capture the elf that stood before him. The way she held herself had Jaxon more than interested as it was, and he couldn’t help but yearn to know and understand the female that spoke up for him in his time of need. He was certain he would stop at nothing to have her in his arms for at least a while that night, even if it was solely for dancing. By the end of the evening however, Jaxon was certain he would have at least one elf in his bed. This much temptation around him was enough for him to set his personal goals in motion one step at a time.

While other elves tired out, Tanelia was not one that tired easily. Years of dancing helped her build up her stamina. It was not uncommon for her to outlast her partners. As she finished dancing with her third partner for the night, she turned to see King Coventry. His mannerism was rather cute, and she could not hide the smile that appeared on her face. He looked different out of his armor and she could see more of his body. He was a threat for the eyes that much she was sure of. Before the thoughts could fester, Tanelia touched his hand.

“I will gladly accept such a request.” 

As the music picked up, Tanelia made sure to stay with Jaxon. She was impressed by the way that he moved. It was good to see that he was not clumsy on his feet. With mild hints he managed to pick up on things rather easily. He was truly skilled and Tanelia liked that about him. The more she danced with him, the more she found herself feeling rather happy that she had spoken up for him. 

“You are truly gifted. I never thought a human could move in such a way. Do tell me if you tire out?” 

Jaxon had managed to dance better than he had anticipated, considering he had never danced before the other day with Valona attempting to teach him. He was lucky he could pick things up quickly, otherwise this could’ve been a lot worse. Although, having a beautiful elf dancing with him was something Jaxon would never have imagined possible, yet here she was, Tanelia in his arms as the music continued. Admittedly, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, even when she seemed to get slightly shy with him and look away. A smirk played onto his face at her comment and he squeezed her just a little tighter. 

“Tiring out isn’t in my nature.” 

Tanelia looked up into his eyes and found that it was a bit hard to look away for a moment. Instead of lingering, she turned her attention to those around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Atrin was making his way towards them. Before he could reach them, Saelihn cut him off and pulled him close to her body.

“Atrin, I am surprised that you did not come for me. I suppose dancing with Tanelia is better than being close to me.”

Atrin looked away from Tanelia when he heard the way Saelihn spoke. He took a hold of her hand and pulled her close to his body. 

“I assumed you were happy with your dance partner.”

“I was amused. Only one elf in here has been able to successfully sweep me off of my feet. On more than one occasion if I remember correctly.” 

Saelihn spoke in a flirty tone and she could tell Atrin had taken the bait. As she moved around the dance room, she looked towards Jaxon every once in a while. Keeping Atrin away from Tanelia was important. The gears in her brain had started to turn and the Szarkai in her was fully awake. Webs had been laid and it was part of securing things that could go beyond this night. There was no telling what the future had in store for them, but it was important to plot past the moment they were in. She could allow Atrin to take Tanelia, but that would solve nothing. Tanelia and Jaxon dancing together could be seen as him expressing his gratitude. If anyone tried stopping that, Saelihn would be justified in stopping them. It would keep her true web hidden and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

The sound of the music changing meant that it was time for the female wood elves to have some fun. She had learned that before battle, wood elves had another side of them that no one had ever seen before. This dance was a dance of temptation, but it also tested a male’s self-control. It was frowned upon for a man to give in since self-control was something that every female elf enjoyed seeing. As the music began, Saelihn placed some distance between herself and Atrin. What Tanelia did was of no concern to her at that moment. All that mattered was that she was going to put Atrin through hell. 

Tanelia listened as the music began to change and she knew what was going to happen. She had done this dance before, but the last time she had Atrin. While she enjoyed dancing with him, Jaxon was fine in her book as well. 

“This next dance is all about self-control. No matter how hard it gets, you must not touch me back until the end of the song. I will try to go easy on you.” 

Jaxon did have incredible stamina, whether it was working in the forge, training or even in bed, he didn’t stop until he felt sure the job was done. Jaxon was quite content with the woman in his arms in that moment, finding it quite easy to lose himself in the way she moved. He didn’t anticipate the truth to that to show as the next song began to play. She explained the rules, catching a chuckle at her offer to go easy on him.

“Please, test me all you like.” 

There was a mild flirtatious tone in her voice. Tanelia began to move around him slowly. When she got back in front of him, her body began to sway to the soft music. Her hips moved in a suggestive way, but one that was full of elegance. Her body moved closer to him, but Tanelia had perfected the art of keeping just enough distance so that he would not feel her completely. At the same time, he would feel the ghost touch of her body near him. Each elf had a certain way they danced, some touched their partners and others did not. Tanelia found more pleasure in getting close to touching, but never giving in completely. Her fingers moved up his arm, but not once did she allow him to feel her touch. Her body continued to sway to the music as she moved behind him.

As Tanelia began to dance, he realized what he’d signed up for rather quickly, his eyes glued to her curves as she danced. Each movement and near touch excited him slightly as the room around him seemed to disappear, only his dance partner in his sights. He could feel the itch to reach forward and press the woman against him, yet he stuck to his guns. Patience was always rewarded, that’s how it was as a blacksmith, and he was certain this was true in the rest of his life. He easily could wait out any situation if he needed to, he was sure of it. Though, that didn’t mean the temptation didn’t plague him like it did any other man. He glanced sideways for a moment, to take the thoughts off Tanelia and ease the desire he had, noticing the struggle on Atrin’s face as Saelihn danced significantly more teasingly than Tanelia had, though each seemed to get the point across in their own way. 

Instead of focusing on his arms, Tanelia allowed her hands to move lower. Unlike a certain snow elf that she knew, Tanelia did not pass over his groin. Her hands moved towards his thigh and she leaned upward to allow him to feel the heat of her breath against his neck. Her hands did not linger long, and she moved back around for him to look upon her once more. While she wanted to face him to watch his facial expression, she decided not to. Her back was turned to him and she continued to move to the beat. Her hands traced his thigh once more and worked up to his arm. As the music started to end, Tanelia allowed her fingers to finally touch him. Her body turned and she looked up at his face. 

Jaxon had managed to not so much as change much of his expression other than the occasional smirk as they came even closer to touching as she danced around him. The rules of no touching were easy for him, though this was only in dance. Had this been in the bedroom, he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands off of a woman like Tanelia. He forced those thoughts to the side however, having enough of a time watching her dance, making it worse for himself wouldn’t be good. When the song was over and Tanelia allowed herself to fully touch him, Jaxon wrapped his arm around her waist and chuckled at her comment.

“You managed to silence the doubt of many elves tonight. After all, a lot would have thought you would give in. You didn’t and I am glad to see that. Would you like to get some wine now?” 

“Wine sounds perfect. Though I never thought I’d get teased in such a way while dancing. You sure know how to keep a human on his toes, but if I’m being honest, I could get used to having you move with me like that far more often.”

He knew his words had startled her as they reached the wine, a blush quite apparent on her face. His hand didn’t leave her waist as they drank either. He quite liked having his hands on her, though he would much prefer to take her elsewhere and have far less clothing on. They stood for a small bit conversing shortly before Tanelia let out a yawn. Yet a small bit of disappointment spread in Jaxon as Tanelia excused herself for the evening. 

“Hopefully we can dance again soon.”

There was something about Jaxon that Tanelia truly liked. She was certain that Saelihn would tell her that it was because she had not seen a human in a while. That was not the case, that much she was sure of. She liked him for who he was even if she was still getting to know him. There was nothing bad jumping out at her. It made her want to keep dancing with him for the rest of the night. After drinking and doing some minor talking, Tanelia found herself growing tired. She should have known that the elixir would be kicking in soon. It tended to always ruin her night. If she didn’t take it, there would be a lot of problems. The last thing she wanted was to cause Queen Yepha any problems. 

As she moved towards her room, Tanelia thought about the comment that Jaxon had made. She would have loved to dance with him again. While his words were sweet, his flirty comment floated around her head. Doing anything without her clothing on was out of the question. Queen Yepha had forbidden her from doing such a thing. Out of respect she was going to follow that rule. When she looked at her tired reflection, Tanelia noticed the glowing symbol in the middle of her chest. It glowed a bright green when the moon light struck it. This allowed her to know that the elixir had taken full effect. As she ran her fingers over the markings, she wondered what exactly the Queen had sealed away. She wished her mother would have told her, but she could barely remember her mother’s face. The only person that had been like a mother to her was Queen Yepha and she was not going to question her.

Saelihn looked towards Atrin who looked as if he was at his limits. She had teased him in a way that was borderline cruel. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was cruel. She had touched his groin more than once and yet he had not broken and touched her back. It was clear from the look in his eyes that he wanted to do a lot of things to her. 

“Atrin, there is no need to look at me that way.” 

“Must you be so cruel?”

“If you would have gotten more kills than me, I would have taken it easy on you. Since you have been on a low kill streak, I am going to resist helping you out tonight.”

The look on Atrin’s face was priceless. To help relax him some, Saelihn pointed towards a female wood elf that had been eyeing him for a while. 

“If I remember correctly, there is a rather bubbly female elf that you spoke of doing things with. Someone smiles in your favor because she has been eyeing you this entire time. Better to move towards her before another takes her away.”

Saelihn watched as he did as she suggested. Her web had been woven rather nicely for Jaxon and Tanelia. Now that her work was done, it was time for her to slip away. Slipping away without being noticed was rather easy. As she made her escape, she grabbed a jug of wine. Once she was out of sight, Saelihn moved towards the lower hot springs. She dropped her gown and slipped into the water. The walls muffled the sound of the festival and gave her the moment she needed to think. As she thought over plans, Saelihn sipped casually on her personal wine. It could have been stronger in her opinion, but this would have to do. While she thought, she looked out of the carved window at the fading sunlight.

Jaxon bowed slightly towards Tanelia as she took her leave before downing the last of the wine in his goblet, a certain movement in his peripherals catching his eye. He noticed Saelihn grab a jug of wine and slip out of the party on her own. Jaxon thought for a moment, curious as to where the elf had snuck away to. He glanced around the room noticing Atrin with another elf and everyone else mingling. It was interesting to see so many elves switch up their partners, Valona wasn’t wrong about the race not being a jealous type. Jaxon glanced around once more before decidedly following in the direction where Saelihn had gone. No one had followed her, and he was certain no one paid him any attention as he slipped out of view in search of the elf. 

Saelihn could not help but to think about Jaxon. A human with demon blood in his veins. Yet, he did not look as disgusting as things from the chaos realm. She hated demons in all honesty. If she had to pick, she would take a human. Her reasons for hating demons were not just because of their looks. She had seen some rather attractive looking ones. Saelihn hated them because of how they were treated. They were honored guests and Drow that had them at parties were well regarded. While some Drow loved them, any Drow with common sense hated them. Of course, a Drow with common sense was rare. She doubted any worshipper of Lolth could be considered wise. The spider loving Drows annoyed her. Everything about the Underdark annoyed her. Things were rather political. The common Drow had their problems and Szarkai had their own. The strong ruled and all others were servants, no matter how blessed or special a person was. 

Her view on the Underdark had only changed the more time she spent in this wood loving kingdom. She had not realized how toxic the Underdark was until she left it. She was in no rush to go back. In all honesty, after learning about King Coventry, she had kept a lot of things to herself. She had her personal reasons of course. Her reasons did land her in hot water with her house. The only reason she had not been punished was because of the mild information she gave them. She made sure to withhold the fact that the king had a son with a demon. Of course her house found out that she had lied about mild things. When they tried to have her replace she killed them. The information that she knew about King Coventry’s son and Tanelia had to be protected at all cost. 

It was amazing at how quickly she could spin a web in her favor. If she was a loyal spider, she would have told her house everything. The Noble House of Hunzrin was considered a stable house in the Underdark. Rauva was the matron of the house and beat anyone that got in her way. The Hunzrin family had been on top for a while and Saelihn doubted things would change. While she should have been all for helping out her house, she hated them. She was not meant to lick Rauva’s boots and she was not going to advance a house that she did not care for. With her luck, Rauva would have wanted King Coventry or his offspring to herself. From knowing how the house treated males, she doubted any of them would last long. Besides humans did not last long in the Underdark. If they did not die in days from the climate, then abusive Drows would be the end of them. 

As Jaxon neared the lower hot springs that the little elf girl had shown him on his tour, he couldn’t help but be thankful for the view as Saelihn sat in the water, sipping on the wine and staring out the window. A slight smirk spread across Jaxon’s face as he leaned against the doorway, enjoying the view for a moment. 

“Tired of the party already?”

As her eyes met his, he could almost swear a smirk played faintly across her lips. Jaxon leaned up from the doorway, stepping forward while staring down at her and taking in the sight from above. His eyes trailed her skin a bit before he allowed himself to meet her eyes again. While most would consider it rude, he didn’t care, and from the looks of it, she didn’t mind his eyes on her. At least, she didn’t seem to care for now, though that could always change. 

Saelihn watched as the water ran down her arm when she lifted it up. Before she could do anything else, a voice caused her to turn around. Out of everyone at the party, she supposed seeing him was not that bad. Atrin was sure to be busy for the remainder of the night. When he was done playing, he would certainly pass out. From what she had noticed, Tanelia tended to pass out a few hours after taking her elixir. Tanelia took her elixir at a set time every day which would make her an easy target. It was just a good thing that she had no plans on harming Tanelia. Only observing and gathering things for her own reasons. The same applied to Jaxon the more she thought on it.

“Or is it you just got tired of teasing Atrin on the dance floor?”

He chuckled and watched her for a moment before crouching down by where she rested. He reached for her wine, filling his cup again, not caring to ask for any as he didn’t plan on leaving the woman to drink on her own.

The fact that he was looking her over had not gone unnoticed. Shying away was not in her nature, but teasing was. She listened as he mentioned Atrin but made no comment right away. The fact that he had the nerve to drink from her jug was a bold move. Normally she would have gone upside someone’s head, but this time she did not. 

“I enjoy working him up. If I helped relieve him, the teasing would not be as fun.” 

A thought began to float around her head as she looked him over. The more she looked at him, the more she realized that he possibly could be her way out of the Underdark. She was free to leave whenever she wanted. Leaving without a plan was a stupid thing. They were allies now and that meant they would come to each other’s aid. If she was going to weave a web, she needed to ensure that it lasted for the remainder of her life. There was no telling how long he could live for, especially since he was not fully human. The old King died and thus she had to be logical. Humans could prove to be rather fragile at times. 

“Did you come looking for a way to relax or were you trying to get those pesky questions answered. After all, not many can track me down and yet here we are.”

Instead of staying away from him, Saelihn moved closer and reached out to run her fingers up his arm. If he was going to get a free show, she figured that the least he could do was offer her something to look at as well. While she could have remained seated in the water, Saelihn turned to completely face him and rested on her knees. From this position her chest was fully out of the water. One hand moved up his arm while the other hand moved towards his thigh.

Jaxon was more than intrigued when it came to Saelihn. The way she moved and held herself even as he drank her wine and looked her over, he had never met a woman like her. In the past, women he had been with were rather easy and liked to be chased, however, as Saelihn spoke and moved, he immediately knew she was something quite new and exciting. Her hands on him didn’t make him shy away either, instead he watched her intently with a smirk playing across his face. He proved to more than just the other elves that a dance couldn’t get to him, perhaps she knew exactly what would? 

“I will admit, I thought you were going to break. I should have known someone as different as you would not break that easily. Then again, innocent actions I am sure cannot break a King.” 

She had opted not to call him a human since she had admitted to knowing his father. Since she knew his father, she was more than aware of what ran through his veins. While she spoke, Saelihn inched closer to him. Without bothering to say anything, her tongue traveled across his lower lip to taste the faint bite of wine. She pulled back away slightly from him and allowed a smirk to come to her face. 

“The wine belongs to me. Thus, I have every right to taste it from the jug or from the lips of a man. I will admit you add a unique flavor to it. I do wonder if you can produce something that tastes far better.” 

Her hand grazed across his crotch, but she did not bother to allow it to linger. While she could have stayed close to him, Saelihn pulled back and looked up at him. If he was just a normal human, she would have hated looking up at him. The wine combined with her need to relax possibly would have caused her to look past it all. Then again, human lovers were boring. He was different and just maybe worth a shot.

He hadn’t responded to any of her questions yet, once her tongue traced across his lip, tasting the wine he had taken from her, he knew he had to get in the water with her soon. If she kept touching him, it would only mean he would eventually give in. Yet as he watched the naked elf move, he was drawn to her movements like a moth to a flame. Her figure was incredibly stunning, much better than any of the women he had seen before, and she moved with a confidence only very few women could ever do; none of which he had managed to find himself. Her next comment caused him to chuckle and he took a large gulp from the wine in his glass. 

“That’s something you are welcome to find out.”

Saelihn picked the jug up and drank from the source. Her tongue ran over her lips and she decided to sit out of the water beside him. The chill from the air caused her nipples to perk, but that did not bother her.

“Care to undress and climb in with me. The warm water is sure to relax you or maybe you want to be relaxed in another way.” 

Her hands traveled slowly down her chest and slid between her legs. The feel of her own fingers between her legs was just the start. Instead of focusing on herself, Saelihn watched the reaction on his face. While she could have kept the show going, she stopped and slid back into the warm water. 

Her words were nearly lost to him as she began to give him quite the show. He could feel his breath become shallow as he watched her hand intently, though it didn’t last long enough in his opinion before her teasing little nature ended and she slid back into the water. He wasn’t sure really why he had followed her, whether to ask her questions or relax as he had flirted about. Yet the more he watched, the more the questions could wait.

“Tell me Jaxon, what is that you want. Answers to your questions? A relaxing time in the hot springs? Or do you want to make me eat all my negative words about humans?” 

Doing things with him would not actually change her views on humans. The wine was only causing her desire to grow. The more she looked at him, the more she realized that he actually had a nice body. Mold was the last thing that came to mind when she looked at him. When she looked at his soldiers, it was the first thing for sure. While she had teased him, Saelihn was not going to make any moves. She was rather curious to see if he backed down from a challenge or embraced it.


	5. Saelihn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you all for the great feedback! We just had to push this next chapter out quickly, cliffhangers are never fun! Enjoy and please keep the feedback coming in!_
> 
> _CHAPTER 5 HAS BEEN RE-EDITED. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF IT SOUNDS BETTER! THANK YOU_

Saelihn rather enjoyed this game that they were playing. A bit of her wondered for a moment if he would give in. At the same time, she was glad that he did not jump in the water right away. The humans that she had dealt with in the past were no fun. They saw a bit of skin and instantly went crazy. She did not have to touch them or tease them to get some kind of results out of them. With Jaxon it was like a mild game. When it came to games, she had no plans on ever losing.

“The only thing I want right now…” 

He stood up pulling his clothes free from his body, each layer revealing new muscles, new toned and tanned skin. When his garments started to come off, Saelihn could only stare in mild amazement. Once his pants hit the floor, he was sure she knew the answer, though he slipped into the water, the burning desire to touch the elf had become quite strong indeed. For a moment she became lost in her thoughts. She had no idea that humans could reach that size. The other humans were laughable, nothing compared to an elven male. Jaxon on the other hand would certainly give Atrin reason to hate him even more. 

“Is you, Saelihn.” 

In a quick motion he grabbed the elf into his strong arms, pulling her close. If she wanted to taste, then she was going to get it. Her brain had no time to process anything else. He was toned in all the right ways. Not dainty like some of the elves she had mingled with. Certainly not too muscular like some of the dwarf males that tried to flirt with her. His lips met hers full of desire and intent as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She had quite willingly allowed it and thus their tongues were matched for dominance, fighting to taste every drop of left-over wine from every surface. One hand had slipped down her back and held her ass firmly, keeping her pressed to him as the other travelled her front, teasing her chest. 

While she could taste the wine in his mouth, she searched for his true taste. She had drunk plenty of wine to appreciate the taste, at that moment, she just wanted his taste. Would he be appeasing to her palate or make her want to push him away. While she searched for the answer, she allowed a moan to escape her. She rather enjoyed this rough side of him. 

Words could not describe how incredibly soft her skin was under his touch and he couldn’t get enough. He already had resolved to only take the best for himself when it came to women and from the looks and feel of Saelihn, she surpassed anything he’d ever seen or touched a thousand times over. This was not a woman he was going to just get his rocks off with, she was a woman he was going to focus his energy into, allowing her as much pleasure as he could muster before he thought of himself. 

If his hands stopped moving, she would probably kill him. His touch was a mixture of rough and soft. It was nothing like an elven male’s touch. From her experience with humans, she could tell he had not lived a pampered life. If he did, he made sure to keep himself busy. Either way, she liked this mixed touch and would not stop his advances.

Jaxon pulled her to the edge of the water, lifting her with ease and sitting her on the side out of the water. This naturally forced their kiss to break, but his mouth didn’t leave her skin. He trailed her neck with gentle bites between letting his tongue dance to her chest. His mouth enveloped one breast, twirling her nipple with his tongue between his teeth. For him to nibble at her skin turned her on even more. She hated to admit it, but so far he was better than some of the wood elves she messed with. 

Her skin was almost sweet, and he much preferred tasting her over the wine. His free hand danced to her other breast, groping and pinching as he felt the little bits of enjoyment from her under his touch. His mouth and hands swapped roles, refusing to leave the other breast unattended. The more he played with her, the clearer it became to her that he knew his way around a female body. A soft moan was the only approval she was willing to give him in the moment. He quite liked the very little bits of enjoyment she let out vocally, though as quiet as they were, he was determined that she’d be screaming for him by the end of the evening.

He played with her chest for a good little while before dancing his tongue down her abdomen. His assault on her chest was starting to send her mind in a frenzy. The fact that he lingered was well noted and appreciated. When he started to move, she could feel her body tingle with anticipation. 

His eyes shot up to hers as he reached just above her entrance. His actions caused her desire to grow in a way like never before. Just as the feeling was sinking in, her eyes snapped open when she realized his mouth was moving lower. In the past she had stopped human males from venturing that far. In her eyes they had not earned such a reward. On top of that, she knew her taste was different than any female human. There was no telling what effect it would have on a male. The last thing she wanted was to give a human male a chance to taste something that they would never experience again. It was not like a human could not sleep with another elf, if they were lucky. Her taste was not like that of a wood elf or any surface elf. She was a Szarkai, a rare Drow whose existence made them appear to be like myths. What flowed between her legs was equivalent to tasting a fine wine that could only be made once every hundreds of years.

While she wanted to stop him, his actions told her that allowing him would be a treat for both of them. With hungry eyes she watched him closely. A smirk played across Jaxon’s lips as he lightly grazed his tongue against her entrance, light enough to frustrate her slightly. The fact that he had teased her made her want him even more. His actions caused a slightly annoyed expression to grace her features. He enjoyed the look on her face as his hands pushed her legs apart giving him complete access. When he opened her legs, she looked at him with a hint of curiosity and amusement in her eyes.

His hands held firm against her thighs, not allowing them to squeeze shut as he finally let his tongue dance against her clit playfully before sucking gently. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her legs around him, but he was keeping her spread open. How her legs were positioned no longer mattered to her. The feel of his tongue against her clit sent a chill through her body. To encourage him to keep going she let out a louder moan. The sounds she made were like heaven to his ears and he could hear the desire for him to go farther.

Jaxon teased her for only a moment longer, the ache to taste much more taking over. His tongue slid between her lips and pushed inside, the nectar coating his tongue incredibly sweet. It was like nothing Jaxon had ever tasted before and before he knew it, his tongue moved with nothing but desire, seeking the taste from every inch he could touch. His groan of approval was loud enough for her to hear as his eyes closed and took in the experience. Saelihn was certainly something different. No woman had ever tasted this good, otherwise it was the wine taking over him and he was sure that was not the case. 

The more he did the louder her moans grew. She had no shame and if someone walked in, she had no plans on stopping. Jaxon’s teasing made her want him in a way she doubted was possible for a human. As he teased her, Saelihn’s hands moved to grope and play with her chest. When his tongue pressed in further, she lifted her head to watch him work. It was a sight that she was surely never going to forget.

His hands finally freed from her thighs, this time hooking under them and pulling her legs over his shoulders and holding her there as he danced his tongue from inside of her back to her clit and back down. He wasn’t going to give in until she found her release and he wanted to feel her pressed against his skin, taking advantage of his hunger to please her. He was determined not to rest until Saelihn wanted nothing more than him. In this moment, she had to be the first one he took for himself, the first consort and woman he wanted to taste and please over and over again regardless of where they ended up.

Being pulled closer to him was a welcomed feeling. A bit of her wondered if the wine and the steam had gone to her head. The more his tongue worked, the more she realized that was not the case. Her face had turned slightly red from the effects of his tongue and nothing more. She was more than willing to blame the wine if the time ever came. To ensure that he tasted every inch of her, her fingers moved into his hair and pushed him closer. Her back arched as her hips continued to move for him. There was no point in her touching herself, not from the way he was working her over. Her toes began to curl and soon she found the release that not many had been able to work out of her.

It was pure bliss in his mouth the moment Saelihn found her release. From the sounds she made to the impeccable tastes, he could get lost with her for eternity. She allowed him to lick her clean, savoring the rare taste on his tongue as he licked his lips before she pulled him into a kiss. Nothing he had before Saelihn could compare in the slightest. He was certain if she willed it in that moment, she’d easily be the only woman in his life, and he had just met her. Saelihn didn’t strike him as the type for monogamy, as with elves, their partners can change with little to no issue. 

When she was certain that he was finished, she pulled him up towards her and kissed him. The fact that her essence was on his lips meant nothing. The way his taste mixed in with her own was well noted. As she battled with his tongue once more, Saelihn began to move so that he sat down in front of her. Doing this act was something reserved for elven males, but after what he had done, Jaxon would be the only human to experience her mouth. 

Her hand wrapped around him and she began to slowly twist her hand up his manhood. She liked the way it felt under her touch. From the way she looked, Jaxon thought she would be a woman who would never allow this, though with the way she moaned moments prior, maybe this was his thanks. He was not going to argue it in the slightest, quite enjoying her hands on him. 

After a while of teasing him with slow movements, she lowered herself and ran her tongue just over his tip. She repeated the process a few times and never once picked up the speed in her hands. Once her hand started to lower again, her tongue swirled under his head. When her hands made way for her tongue, Jaxon couldn’t stifle the moan. The moan that escaped him only encouraged her actions. She made sure her tongue encircled him completely before she lowered her head a bit more on him. Instead of taking him completely in her mouth, she took in his head and sucked on it. It was not just to tease him, but slow actions yielded the best results. He had a rather nice taste to him, once that she would have never imagined. Jaxon watched through half opened eyes as she teased the tip, using her tongue in a way that was completely unexpected. Saelihn absolutely knew exactly what to do to get him going.

To ensure she had tasted correctly, Saelihn pulled him from her mouth and ran her tongue down his shaft and all the way to his scrotum. Shying away from such his scrotum was out of the question. Her hand picked up speed as she pulled one into her mouth and began to suck on it. She allowed her teeth to roll over one and yet she made sure to not be rough. While she liked causing a bit of pain, she was not going to scare him away. She repeated the process to his other, not wanting any of him to be left out. When she was done sucking and running her teeth across him, she allowed her tongue to rest in the middle of them. A smirk came to her face as she thought about what she was going to do to him. Her tongue moved up from his scrotum to his head. When she reached the tip, she flicked her tongue across it before sliding it down the other side. She had reached the middle of his shaft, before she brought her head back up. This time she pulled him into the warmth of her mouth. 

Saelihn’s lips locked onto him to provide him with the best suction. As her head bobbed back and forth, she coated him with her saliva. She had done this only to ensure that when her teeth grazed him, he would feel pleasure. Even as she used her teeth, all Jaxon could do was groan in pleasure and enjoy every bit of feeling that he could. Her tongue moved in different directions to ensure that he did not know what was coming next. As her tongue worked him over, her free hand moved to roll his scrotum around in her hands. With each pass of her tongue, she took him further into her mouth until he was well into her throat. While she was certain that her actions were enough, Saelihn was not one to go easy on her partners. Once he was secure in her throat, she let out a sound that made it feel as if her throat was vibrating around him. With her free hand, she allowed her nails to drag along his thigh. 

In the past, human girls rarely did this let alone did it this well. He never had the money to pay for it, yet even with the royal prostitutes, this was far from what they managed to do. It took an incredible amount of concentration for Jaxon to not release immediately, forcing himself to find reprieve in as many side thoughts as he could muster, though the more Saelihn teased all over with her tongue, the harder it was getting to hold it back. His hips began to thrust involuntarily, and he couldn’t stop his hands from reaching her hair. While he normally would have at least tried not to mess up such an elegant woman’s hair, the way she worked him had him ready to explode in more ways than one. Saelihn knew that he was messing up her hair. Her looks meant nothing to her at that moment. From the way he moved his hips, she could not help but to moan.

Jaxon was pushing himself as far as he could into her mouth, and she was taking every inch with incredible persistence. While Saelihn was enjoying this, she needed air. She pulled back for a moment to catch her breath and when she did her hand wrapped around him. Her grip had tightened a bit and her hand speed increased to ensure that he no longer felt teased. The only minor reprieve Jaxon had from releasing then and there was her small break for breath, her hand still worked him though, but it gave him that mild rest he needed to clear his head slightly.

As she neared the middle of his shaft her lips moved back around him. When her mouth moved down her hand came back up to greet her lips. Jaxon smirked down at Saelihn as she brought herself back to her work. After a while she took her hand away to give him back the feeling of being nuzzled deep inside of her. The fact that his hips were moving again was a well-earned reward. He could not be too rough with her and she rather liked the feeling of his hands on her. It encouraged her to keep going until he gave her what she found herself desiring. This time Jaxon was unable to hold back. He thrust roughly up into her mouth, releasing more than he thought possible in that moment, absolutely filling her mouth to the brim. The groan that accompanied the release was one that told Saelihn just how pleased he was. 

The sounds he made were rather enjoyable. There was something about it that she liked. What she liked more was the way that he tasted. She would have never guessed that a man could produce so much. Aside from that, he had a taste that made her want to keep going. Self-control was a wonderful thing. After swallowing what was in her mouth, Saelihn cleaned him off and then licked her lips. The way that he gripped her hair and how his hips moved, it caused her desire to grow. She could feel herself aching for more than his tongue. A rare feeling and one she was never going to say out loud. 

This woman was something else, he could feel it in his bones. Jaxon lifted her head up to his, letting his carnal desire take over. He was rough, but still gentle enough not to throw the poor elf around completely, yet. From the way he was moving her, Saelihn wanted nothing more than for him to be rough with her. Jaxon placed Saelihn on her back, wasting no time in taking her for his own. He didn’t stop to ask if she needed him to be gentle, from the way she already had moved, she was experienced enough to take Jaxon. Though, he still savored the moment he pressed himself into her, feeling her wrapping around him and hugging him tight, forcing a chill down his spine. 

Even though it took a moment to adjust to him, she did not complain. She was rather happy to know that someone could fill her up in such a way. While she had been with different elves, her body always snapped back, as did other elves. She heard the sad story for the humans that had issues with snapping back. It just reminded her why she was grateful she was not one of those pitiful creatures. Being unable to grip a male properly, that would surely be cruel punishment that only Lolth could offer her. None of that mattered because she did not have that issue. The look she gave Jaxon as he moved spoke of her desire for him to pick up the pace. 

He glanced down at her body, taking in the looks that followed the feeling, thrusting somewhat gently to start before he really made his point. His thrusts became almost primal as he gripped her thighs, filling her as deep as he could in that angle. It was in that moment he realized to himself, he was not leaving this kingdom without Saelihn. He wanted nothing more to hear the sounds she made, to feel deep inside her as often and for as long as she would allow. The more he thought about it, the harder he tore into her, lifting her ass off the ground and pulling her into his thrusts even more. When he finally became a bit rougher, Saelihn’s moans encouraged him to keep at it. She was fine with what he was doing to her. She actually found herself desiring more from him. 

Jaxon was essentially marking her for his own in every way that he could. He lifted all of Saelihn, her legs around his waist as she was fully levitated in his arms. She had no idea what was going through his mind and she did not care. All she knew was that he had lifted her into a new angle and was moving in a far better way. To ensure that she did not slip, her legs wrapped around him to secure her position. He held her body close to his, running one hand up her spine, reaching the base of her neck. 

He pulled her head back roughly, giving room for his mouth to bite and lick the delicate pale skin under his lips. The fact that he had bitten her was something not even an elf was bold enough to try. Normally they asked permission which was a mild turn off. Jaxon did not ask for permission; he was making a statement with more than just his lips. Maybe she had been a bit harsh on humans. Then again maybe she had not been. He could possibly have been the rare gem among his race. Now was not the time to focus on such matters. All the mattered was his actions. Jaxon left marks all over the elf, ensuring to bite much harder by her collar bone. He had no doubt people would see and he didn’t care. He was going to show this elf that out of all the humans, he was the one she should have the highest opinions of, that he was the one she should intertwine her body with as often as they could make happen. From his actions, Saelihn was starting to feel like visiting him again would be a good idea. He had to do more if he was going to seal that idea in her mind.

It helped to know that he had not released inside of her yet. What many were not aware of was the fact that she did not need sleep. It was a beautiful blessing the more she thought about it. Sleep was something a Drow never did. The best they did was close their eyes and meditate, but that was not something that was done every night. It made her rather happy on the rare occasions that she got to sleep with a male Drow. At least then she knew that they would be going for a while. Of course, after sleeping with them she had to kill them. If others knew she existed, it was sure to cause problems. The only plus side was that they got to experience bliss before she ended their lives. As her mind shifted back towards Jaxon, she was grateful that she did not have to kill him. She was actually grateful that she did not have to kill anyone because they knew of her existence. Granted they thought she was a snow elf, but that was still something positive in her book. The longer his assault continued the more she wished that he could keep going. Humans did need their sleep. With everything going on, he needed to be in his best shape. After all, her name was on the line and she was not going to risk that.

Jaxon groaned into her skin as he turned positions again, this time having both himself and Saelihn on their knees, Saelihn facing away. He wanted her body close to his as he thrust up into her from behind, one hand had found its way firmly around her neck, the other reached around and teased her clit. Saelihn found the new position and the fact that he gripped her neck to be rather enjoyable. The assault on her clit caused a moan to slip from her. Jaxon was adoring the sounds Saelihn made, the movements she made to match his. Every touch heightened his sensitivity to her, and it was all he could do not to get extra rough. She was not some human girl he wanted a quick fling with, no she was someone with a high status. Everything about her screamed elegance, even her openness sexually. He was determined not to scare the elf away, at least not until she agreed to come with him. 

It was clear from his actions that he was trying to push her over the edge. Maybe if this had been their second or third time together, she would have given him his reward. Where would the fun be in letting him know he was actually doing a good job. She was not completely cruel. Her moans and body language showed that she wanted him to keep going. The harder his grip became around her neck, the louder her moans grew. 

Saelihn was an anomaly to Jaxon, an experience and sight he refused to ever forget. Her lustful looks, her moans, her soft skin, every bit of her would be etched into Jaxon’s memory. He was far from done with the elf however, knowing his stamina could last the entire evening, he wasn’t going to stop no matter how many releases it took for Saelihn to lust for him as badly as he did for her. He was more than determined with every thrust to make her his.

With each thrust her mind began to wonder towards an interesting idea. She had not thought to lay a web around him that would connect the two. When it came to sex, she did not use that to guide her future actions. If she did something like that, she was sure that her plans would come tumbling down. She knew of his potential and she did want to make him an ally outside of this kingdom. Using her body to secure such a thing was not how she wanted to do it. After all, she liked to use her words and actions to get her point across. 

Now was not the time to think about such things. Her hands finally moved up to grab the arm that was holding onto her neck. She did not try to get him to stop. Instead she held onto him to encourage him to keep at it. While she enjoyed it, Saelihn was not about to submit completely to him.

“Do I seem fragile to you Jaxon? I can feel it in your strokes. Stop holding back. After all, aren't you supposed to be making me see that I was wrong?”

As Jaxon’s assault had continued, Saelihn’s words caught him slightly off-guard. A sly smile spread across his face at her words, if she wanted it rough, he had no issue complying. In an instant his thrusts and grip had become much rougher. She did not hold back on her moans as he kept going. To get more of what she wanted, she pulled his hand away from her neck. As she pushed back on him, Saelihn moved her ass in a suggestive way. The way she suggestively moved her ass spoke volumes. He wasted no time letting his hand connect with her ass hard, repeating the process every few thrusts as he enjoyed the sounds she made. From his angle, her ass was bright red, a sight he rather enjoyed. The sting in her cheek meant nothing to her. The fact that she was wet made the sting a bit worse. The pain combined with his thrust was another layer of bliss. Saelihn encouraged him to keep going. 

After a while, she decided it was best that she take control. It did not take much effort to get him on his back. Her taking control however, surprised Jaxon. Many women, at least human women in his kingdom, were shy and let him just do whatever he needed to get his rocks off. It could be extremely boring at times when women showed no initiative. It made Jaxon grateful at that moment that he had found such a rare quality woman willing to battle him for dominance. He let her take control without much of a fight, curious if she could handle him. Proof was in the pudding, that was for sure.

Saelihn lowered herself on him and began to grind against him. To get her point across, she pinned his arms down and began her own assault on his neck. She was not going to be the only one walking around with markings. Her teeth sunk into him, but not deep enough to draw blood. The only thing she was going for was pain. If a mark or two were left behind, it was his own fault. After what he did to her, she felt it was right. He couldn’t stop the large smile that spread across his face as she bit into him, groaning slightly. He loved the pain and pleasure combo, and not to mention, he deserved the repercussion since he had indeed left marks on her.  
The fact that he was a king meant little to her. Titles in her own race meant nothing to her. While it should have, she did not care. Her hips continued moving against him while her mouth played with his neck. After a while, she released his arms and planted her hand on his chest. She picked up speed as she bounced on him. Her body clinched onto him to ensure that he fully understood what he was getting involved in. 

Feeling himself this deep inside of her from this new angle made Jaxon thrust up against her slightly to match her rhythm, though she didn’t allow him to relax. Instead she pulled him up and he wasted no time biting at her nipples. His actions caused a moan to escape her. This added pleasure was everything she needed. Her hands moved up into his hair and she pulled his head back. The look in his eyes was charming in its own way. While she normally did not, Saelihn moved to kiss him. Anything to taste this woman, he would gladly do, though it didn’t last long as she pulled his head back and kissed him abruptly. The battle for dominance was rather nice. When she moved to break the kiss, her teeth sank into his lower lip in a playful way. She ran her tongue over his bruised lip and smirked at him. He enjoyed the struggles for dominance and the sweet taste of her mouth, chuckling the moment she pulled away and bit down on his lip and smirking. She was feisty and he didn’t want her to stop. 

With the way things were going, she knew that she would not be able to hold out much longer. Her nails dug into his shoulder as she continued moving, glad to feel him thrusting in such a way. His hand slid around her waist to her backside; if she wanted rough, he wasn’t going to back down. Two fingers slipped into her back hole abruptly, the fact that she was wet from the bath making it a little easier for them to slide in. He pushed them deep as he used his other hand to brace him from the ground, giving him extra leverage to thrust into her with an alarming amount of force. The fact that he had dared to invade her back hole was something she was never going to forget. It was a bliss too good for words. With each thrust she knew she could not hold back anymore.

Her screams made it significantly more worth it as he could feel her body giving into him as he assaulted her with an intense amount of force. Even Jaxon couldn’t help but feel intense amounts of pleasure wash over him as his brain had begun to fog, enjoying the bouncing of Saelihn’s chest in his face, her loud voice echoing through the bath and the feel of her finally hitting her release sending Jaxon’s brain into a frenzy. His thrusts didn’t stop as he pushed past her release, the extra wetness giving him all the ammunition he needed to reach his own. He thrust deep filling the elf with everything he had, riding out his release through a few more deep thrusts.

Jaxon didn’t pull out right away as they both held still, panting heavily at the mind numbing feeling they both had just incurred. He placed his forehead against her chest, kissing her collarbone gently before looking up at her. He quite enjoyed her face as he pulled his fingers from her rear, leaning back and allowing her to step free from her position on him. 

As she slipped on her clothing, she had to stop herself from allowing her thoughts to travel back to a certain blonde elf. He had been the first to actually invade her back hole. While it had been a painful experience, she rather liked it. There was a lot about him that she liked. He was the final reason for her not wanting to go back to the Underdark. She was already breaking off in her mind, but he helped rush the process. While she did not believe in belonging to one elf, she made it a priority to sleep with him as often as possible. It was just a shame that he had died. While she remembered the look on his dying face, the look of regret Tanelia gave her lasted way longer. 

Saelihn did not like to reflect on the past and she was not about to mourn the loss of Llewel. She had mourned it for a while, that was until she spotted his undead face among the ranks of Racht’s army. It was a slap in the face that she would never forgive. An elf serving in an undead army was unacceptable. To make him a captain and force him to go against those he once loved was outrageous. Saelihn was going to have her revenge. She looked forward to bringing down everyone that got in her way. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost did not hear Jaxon when he spoke to her. 

“I’ve never met anyone quite like you.” 

He chuckled, glad he followed her down into the bath. He watched as she slid her dress back on, slowly following the same que and putting his own clothes on. He didn’t care to put his shirt back on, the heat from the bath certainly enough for him to shrug off the added amount of cloth to his skin. He moved to stop her from completely leaving however, determined to finish the rest of the business he had with her. 

“Come to my room, I still want to bother you with questions.”

“Of course you do.”

Jaxon joked but he was still serious about wanting to know everything he could find out. She had followed, though reluctant he was sure. As they entered his room, he took a seat on the bed and looked at her over again, still thrilled with himself for getting to lay with such an incredible beauty. Saelihn followed behind him and thought about what he was going to say to her. When they reached his room, she did not bother to sit beside him. They had already done enough and there was no need for her to be close to him.

“You knew my father, which means you are definitely one of the Five aren’t you? Honestly, what do you know about me? Until just a few days ago I was nothing but a poor blacksmith and now I’m a King with a lineage I know only bits and pieces about. I don’t know how to improve on this power I have if I don’t even know who or what I am.” 

He stared up at her with a different amount of intensity. Valona had only known so much about him, the texts in his orb were only bits and pieces, mostly filled just with the power he had not where it had originated. Alston didn’t know much either, though that wasn’t surprising. Jaxon was essentially flying blind with only little to help him forward. Why was he so special? Why did his father ensure he had another heir? What was he running from? 

Questions clouded Jaxon’s mind from day one, even as he tried to have the best experiences every day as possible, there was so much he didn’t know. Hell, he didn’t even know elves existed let alone demons. What else is out there? What is the world like? Is there anything he should be afraid of? He couldn’t stop how hard he was gritting his teeth, the frustration getting to him slightly, even after having such a relaxing time with the woman in front of him. 

“Don’t hold back, just tell me the truth no matter what it is. I just seek honesty.”

As she rested against the door, she took in everything that he was saying to her. What she noticed most was the distressed look on his face. How much of his past had been kept from him? Just looking at him made her think about Tanelia. She knew from talking to the elf, that Tanelia lacked knowledge about her past. There was a difference in this moment. Saelihn at least knew about Jaxon’s past while Tanelia was mostly a mystery filled with somewhat believable rumors. While she knew much about Jaxon, she still wondered if she could be honest with him. 

“You seek honesty. For starts, next time lead with the questions instead of sex. Doing something like that eliminates the idea of you having a personal agenda.”

Jaxon smirked at Saelihn’s initial response. He was in his prime and to think starting with questions while graced with a gorgeous, fully naked elf was something he couldn’t do. Then again, maybe other kings before Jaxon would’ve been able to ignore her and just handle business, Jaxon never had these opportunities in his life previous to this. He took note of her statement though, maybe going forward, learning some restraint would yield something different, something worth learning besides something sexually based. Jaxon never had to deal with people like this, only selling the weapons made at the shop. He was far out of his comfort zone and Valona couldn’t train him enough in this subject; he would just have to learn as he went. 

At least if she would have had sex second, she could have felt like it was a reward for him troubling her. There was no going back to change the past. While she thought over what she was going to say, Saelihn sat in the only chair available and turned it to face him. She had to be careful with her words, but honest at the same time. In all honesty she had been sent above ground to monitor Tanelia. While she was dealing with Tanelia, Rauva thought it would be wise for her to collect information on the neighboring kingdom. It was Rauva’s plan to at some point turn the two kingdoms against each other. When Saelihn went over there, something unexpected happened. She ended up becoming friends with the king. Even when she gathered useful information, she did not give it to Rauva. She supposed her relationship with Llewel and time above ground changed her. Instead of working like a dog for Rauva, she did things to help herself.

Of course, Rauva found out in the end about King Coventry. While Saelihn told a lie that covered herself, it did nearly cost her everything. To think Rauva was truly going to send another Szarkai to replace her. After all that she had done, Saelihn was not going to have that. She did what was best and killed the Szarkai who dared to take her place. It secured her spot above ground, but it also sent a silent message back to Rauva. Saelihn was not to be messed with and her loyalty was not as blind as the others. Information like that, was not the honesty she was willing to tell Jaxon. Besides, he did not ask her to be honest about herself, he just wanted to know about his past. She supposed soothing his troubled mind would work in her favor. 

“The fact that I was allowed in the meeting was the queen’s silent way of saying I was part of the Five. Walls, even made of wood, have ears. I know much about your past and if indeed you want to hear about it then I will tell you.” 

Thankfully, as Saelihn sat across from Jaxon in the chair, she seemed willing to explain more about his past. There was much he needed to learn and not enough of it had been written in the texts he read. He could feel it in his bones that there was something about him that was being hidden, something that no one was supposed to know. The great lengths his father had gone to hide it from record showed Jaxon there had to be more to him than just being a bastard son. At any rate, just hearing she was one of the Five made Jaxon nod in approval. His first ticket to his past lay in front of him and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Jaxon’s eyebrow cocked in curiosity as Saelihn moved from the chair next to him, speaking much lower than before.

Out of all places to have a discussion, Saelihn was not happy to do it here. She paused for a moment to ensure that no one was walking by. From what she picked up on, it was clear that others were enjoying the pleasure of each other. Saelihn liked to be safe and moved from her chair to sit beside Jaxon. She dropped her voice to ensure that only he could hear her. If he was a Drow speaking to him would have been a lot easier. Especially since no one in this kingdom spoke in her natural tongue. She had taken all of the precautious that she could and now it was time to be brutally honest.

“I met your father by chance back when he had a sound mind and not many gray hairs. He had a wife, but I have no idea how deep their connection was. Regardless, he had met a woman that he grew fond of. He talked about her constantly, in a way that caused me to question his connection with his wife. It was not my place to ask such questions and thus I said nothing. When he told me that this woman was pregnant and that he planed on raising his child, I told him it was a terrible idea. Kings that have conditions like your family grow to be hated. At some point, the little people gather to create a mighty force and will kill all that they hate.” 

Saelihn mostly spoke from experience in living in the Underdark. Drow would kiss the ass of certain houses for so long. Those same Drow that once worshipped a house would join together to try and bring the house down. Some had tried bringing down her house, but that had not worked in their favor. She had seen the houses of others fall. That was not something that she wanted to happen to the King. 

Even in this moment, he had to push to concentrate with Saelihn at his side. Having someone so beautiful near him was going to be Jaxon’s downfall if he didn’t learn to control himself better. He made it a point to keep his eyes focused on Saelihn’s as she spoke and explained how she knew his father. It didn’t surprise him that the previous king had another woman he fancied. There weren’t many men he knew to be completely faithful other than his pseudo father the blacksmith. Even other guys in the small village he grew up in always had more than one girl they messed around with. Though her words began to hit home…Kings with conditions like his family…was she talking of the madness? 

“I told him that if he wanted to show the people power, he had to act wisely. Raising you was out the question and he needed to pick another family. Someone that he could trust and someone that would never harm you. The wood elves were out of the question, but at one point I had agreed to look in on you from time to time. All of our agreements went into the fire, the moment I smelled the presence of a demon on him. It was like his condition was rapidly worsening the stronger the scent grew on him. When I placed together that it was the scent of his secret lover, I nearly snapped. Conniving little fiends that deserve to have their tongues removed. Your father’s magic, I am sure is what she was going after. She succeeded in getting it, to a degree.”

Saelihn paused when she thought about who the king was with. If she could have laid eyes on the fiend, she would have thought about killing her. Then again, the future was important and acting in the moment was out of the question. 

It was the newest word that struck the chord, demon? What demon had she sensed on his father? His mother? As he listened to Saelihn the world around him grew quiet. His mother was a demon…no, that couldn’t be possible. The way Saelihn spoke and carried herself, he was certain she wasn’t one for many jokes, especially considering the topic of discussion at that moment. Jaxon stared down at his hands in disbelief, still processing the words. She wasn’t wrong; however, it did seem his father did manage to heed her words of caution. Jaxon was more than grateful in that moment to have been raised by such a loving family, even if all he had left was the blacksmith. If his mother had raised him, what corruption would even he be capable of?

“The last time I spoke with your father, you had yet to be born. I told him that if he was still a reasonable man, that he would take you away from her and do as we planned. I also told him that if he had any common sense, he would kill your mother. A lot of nasty comments were tossed around that night. I did threaten to kill him if he did not do as we spoke of. After all, a demon raising a child, is truly something to fear. If he wanted to keep his kingdom that fear should be greater than me coming after him. I guess my words sunk in and stirred a fear in him like never before. His actions say it all, would you not agree.” 

The fact that Jaxon had reached out to this kingdom was something she had not expected. To know that the King had done as she asked said a lot. She had not kept tabs to see if he would listen to her. The only thing she told herself was that if things went sour because of the king, she would kill every last person in their kingdom. Of course it would be a bit tricky, especially since she had not told her house that Jaxon existed. If she would have done something like that there was no telling who the Underdark would send to retrieve him. Keeping her mouth closed was the last good thing she could do for someone she once respected.

“It is a shame that everyone was killed. In all honesty, I thought he would lose his mind and harm himself or his wife at least. You are alive and that is all that matters. Since you are the last of your bloodline, I do suggest you do something about that. Then again, you all are bound to go crazy. At the same time, I wonder how that little side effect will mess with you. After all, your father was a mere human. You on the other hand are something far different.” 

Saelihn tapped the side of her chin as she thought about what could be done. She had dealt with demons in the past, but a snow elf would never have done something like that. While she had ideas, she could not offer them to him. 

The more she spoke, the more Jaxon reflected on his powers. Had he been raised by demons, could he have attained even more power on top of the power from his father? Could he learn to harness his demonic blood and become something no one could stop? His heart fluttered slightly, nerves popping up at the thought of possibly surpassing all sorts of things in this world. 

“I am sure your sorceress would make for a great training partner. In no way do I suggest you seek out the help of another demon. It is out of the question, especially since you were kept hidden for a damn good reason. Do anything like that and I will personally kick your ass.” 

Saelihn spoke in a very serious tone. She did not care that she was threatening him. Her life being on the line did not matter to her. If Rauva found out she had kept another secret, she was more than welcome to come for her. Saelihn did not run from anyone and she never would.

A small smirk appeared on his face at Saelihn’s threat. He knew she was serious, though he still couldn’t help but appreciate the threat. It showed him that she cared even just a little. Part of him thanked his father’s previous friendship with Saelihn, to allow Jaxon this chance to learn about himself and possibly make an even closer ally than he anticipated. 

“Now you know the truth about your past. With everything going on, I suggest you go to sleep, human. You need your energy for the morning, and you need to keep a clear mind. The past no longer matters. You know the essentials, now it is time for you to focus on the future and how you can become a better king.” 

There was much she needed to think about as well. A deep meditation was at the top of her list. The only way she could do that was by getting away from everyone in this kingdom and meditating in her secret area.

“Thank you Saelihn. There’s much you could’ve kept from me and you didn’t and for that I will always be grateful. There’s a lot I need to learn and understand if I’m going to be a different King than my father ever was. That being said…” 

He placed his hand on her leg gently. He wasn’t looking for sex, but he hoped she’d truly listen to his request. 

“I need to secure my bloodline, like you said. I plan on having many women able to assist me in that endeavor, however I would love for you to be the first. Come with me to my Kingdom when all this is over. With you at my side, between our physical compatibility and your knowledge, I have no doubts that the future would hold something great for us.”

The fact that he thanked her did not shock her. She had given him what he needed and nothing more. What did catch her off guard was the fact that he had requested that she carry his child. While she knew what he was, that did not mean she wanted to carry his child. What would happen if she actually did something like that was unclear. Drows that slept with demons did create a race that was a problem, but those demons did not look human in any way. There was no telling what they could create or if it would even be powerful. Before she could answer him, she felt his lips on her own. Saelihn did not push him away, but she did not respond. Her brain had begun to process what would happen if she actually did have his child. Would she create something that was strong enough to take down her house? Would their child come out looking deformed? If it did come out deformed, Saelihn would have no issue in killing it. There was no way that she would ever allow such a thing to exist. 

Aside from the idea of carrying his child was the offer to leave this kingdom. While it would be nice to see something else, she was not ready to live among humans. Wood elves were annoying, but she had grown used to them. On top of that, she had to protect Tanelia. There was no way that she was just going to run off and leave Tanelia. Jaxon was a good ally to have, but the risk was too great. There was no telling what Jaxon would do to Tanelia if he found out about her. Here she had the elixir and Saelihn was certain that the elixir was keeping her safe. At this moment she had to think about her current situation. The long run did not matter because moving away from Tanelia was out of the question. Maybe if she saw how Jaxon carried himself in battle, she would be able to come up with a plan. There was no way that she would willingly follow any human that was weak. He had to prove himself for her to even consider doing anything else to help him.

Jaxon acknowledged the look on Saelihn’s face. His hand left her thigh, sliding under her chin before pulling her into a gentle kiss. He admired Saelihn greatly in the very short amount of time that he’d been around her. However, Jaxon had never been surer of anything in his life, he wanted Saelihn by his side in some sort of way. He didn’t bother to deepen the kiss, only pulling away to allow her to leave if she had wanted. 

“Just think about it, I don’t need an answer right away.” 

Jaxon laid back on the incredibly comfortable bed and stared up at the ceiling, feeling the bed lift from Saelihn’s weight. He didn’t peg her for the type to hang around if it wasn’t needed, though, he wouldn’t mind waking up to a woman like her if fate had allowed. Not that he didn’t already plan on waking up to many women like her in the future, right now she was the first he truly set eyes on knowing full well what he wanted. The more he thought about it, the more he knew he was going to get Saelihn and any woman he wanted as he continued on. Even if he had to find a way to prolong his own youth, he was going to do it so long as it meant he could be the King that not only proved his worth to his people, but ensured his bloodline at all costs.

The room had gone quiet and dark, aside from the last flicker of the candle that had nearly melted away on the nightstand. Jaxon hadn’t realized the amount of time that had elapsed as Saelihn was long gone and even the festivities seemed to have died down. He sat up abruptly, removing the rest of his clothes and finally readying for bed. The following day was going to be preparation for battle and getting both armies ready to fight Racht. The day after would be when Jaxon would do whatever it took to take down Racht and his sorcerer. He wouldn’t allow the armies to the north to continue to harm his new elven allies, let alone anyone else. Sleep would only come for Jaxon if he could keep his mind on one thing, yet as it was, he had many more questions and many more sprawling thoughts that plagued his mind. For now, just resting on the pillow with his eyes closed would be all he could do until he could finally, hopefully sleep.

While she could have shared her thoughts, Saelihn left him. She did not bother to return to her room, since she needed to be alone. Her hands traced over the wall until she found a faint marking that only she could sense. A simple push was all she needed and soon a passage appeared for her. It led her out of the kingdom and into the forest. Saelihn looked around to see if anyone was following her. When she was certain that she was safe, she began moving towards a cave. A low whistle was all she needed to summon her favorite familiar. A cavvekan came rushing out of the cave towards Saelihn. She rubbed its bat like face lightly and moved inside of the cave with it. As she sat on the fur rug, Saelihn began to reflect on everything. 

Jaxon was the son that she had told King Coventry to hide. Jaxon held a lot of potential and in the long run she needed to be on his side. The long run was clear to her, the only problem was getting to it. She had laid webs that would connect Tanelia and Jaxon. The fact that she was part of the Five connected her to Jaxon. While they had a minor web going, nothing was strong enough to connect them to the future. Jaxon had spoken of her giving him a child, but with her lifestyle that was out of the question. Jaxon didn’t even know her true race. If she brought a child into this world, she had a feeling Rauva would want it. There was no way that she was going to have a child and hide. She wanted her own freedom, but she had to play it smart. She was free at the moment, only because her house did not know her full intentions. If she made certain moves, she was sure that Rauva would come after her. Dying was not something she planned on doing.

Tanelia was the only thing keeping her in Ela Alora. The only way that she would follow Jaxon was if Tanelia followed him. Knowing Tanelia, Saelihn was well aware that Tanelia would never leave. Tanelia loved Ela Alora with all her heart. While Saelihn was now sure that being beside Jaxon would be a good move, she could not make such a move. She was going to have to find a way to secure Tanelia and Jaxon. Jaxon had been clear about wanting children. She doubted that he would refrain from touching Tanelia. There was no way that she could stop him from doing such a thing. Then again, she was certain that she could, but did she really want to. 

Two mixed bloodlines coming together would surely form something that would force people to bow down. A child like that would come with a lot of risks and yet they would all be worth it. Drows were good with magic. With Jaxon’s history, she had a feeling he could produce a child that would strike fear in a Drow wizard’s heart. Things like that took time and Saelihn had to think of the web that would secure them well into the future.


	6. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The allies ready themselves for the battle ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _So sorry this chapter took a bit to come out, but we hope you continue to enjoy and leave feedback! Thanks all!_

The sun’s rays rested on Tanelia’s face long enough to cause the female to roll slowly in her bed. She rubbed her eyes and began moving towards her personal bathing chambers. It never took her long to freshen up. The last thing she wanted to do was smell like a female dwarf. Their smell was one that no one in her kingdom would ever forget. When she was ready, she pulled on her tunic and moved to their training grounds. Every morning started the same. Atrin and Saelihn would train until the sun came up. When she stepped onto the grounds, she would train with Saelihn. At times like this, it was important that they stayed in top shape. Since it was not their turn to patrol the grounds, they would get to go much longer.  
Tanelia noticed that Saelihn had her right arm tied behind her back. Despite being limited in battle, she was still keeping up with Atrin. Atrin was doing his best to catch her off guard. Each attempt was met with a block or a quick dodge. It fascinated her to watch Saelihn perform some days. The female moved with grace and packed enough force to put any male on their backside. Unlike usual, Tanelia noticed the frustrated look in Atrin’s face. While he looked annoyed Saelihn seemed rather calm. Tanelia did not bother to listen to the banter between the two, until it became hard to ignore. 

“With a human of all things.” 

“Atrin, I am starting to think that you are jealous.” 

“Jealous? Don’t make me laugh. What elf would be jealous of a human?” 

“Only a foolish one for sure.” Saelihn ducked when the time was right. She struck him in the arm with her dull blade and smirked at the face that he made. While she enjoyed sparring with him, she needed to train with Tanelia. It took a few more moves before she was able to knock Atrin onto the ground. She placed her sword against his neck and smiled down at him.

“Instead of being jealous, Atrin, you should remember one thing. You will always outlive him. Thus, even if I decided to sleep with him again, in the end you will get me more than him. After all humans live for sixty years or whatever. If it makes you feel better, you could always screw me on top of his grave.” Tanelia moved towards Saelihn and shook her head.

“That is a very messed up thing to say and do. It is not that serious. Humans are not disgusting creatures. We are free to sleep with who we want. Atrin you should be ashamed of yourself getting that worked up.” Tanelia did not care that Atrin was older than her. She did not like that he was getting worked up over Saelihn sleeping with a human. When she looked towards her friend, she did wonder why Saelihn had slept with him. After what Saelihn had said, she thought that it would never happen. Wine tended to cause elves to do things they would not normally do. Saelihn did not seem like the caring time, which made Atrin’s actions even more shameful. 

“It is the principal. As I said, I am not jealous. Just worked up because of the upcoming battle.” Atrin dusted off his tunic and looked Tanelia over. A smile came to his face as he noticed that she was glowing. 

“How about when you are done training with Saelihn, we train together again? There are a few things that I want to show you.” Saelihn moved between him and Tanelia and glared up at him. 

“You are not Llewel. The only thing you can teach her is how to lose. Put me on my back out here and I might reconsider. Now go and train your new recruits.” Tanelia offered Atrin a smile as he moved away and looked towards Saelihn. 

“What are we doing today?” 

“We are going to start with archery and then work on your close combat fighting.” Close combat was something that Tanelia did not like. She hoped to take her target down long before they reached her. Things never went the way she wanted. After what happened last time, she needed to ensure that she was ready. Dying was not an option and she was certain Queen Yepha would be upset if she died. 

Warm up was rather simple. It was her duty to shoot at Saelihn while she was blindfolded. Tanelia had stopped questioning her friends training habits. As usual, Saelihn managed to avoid the arrows with ease. When it came to close combat, Tanelia had improved but not as much as she wanted. Tanelia managed to move her body out of the way in time to avoid being struck by the dull dagger. While she managed to land one blow, it became clear that Saelihn had done it on purpose. It was another reminder that showed how far in advance her friend thought. When they both lost their dagger, the fight continued with them using their hands. By the end of it, Tanelia found herself on the ground with Saelihn on top of her. Saelihn rested the dull blade against her throat and smiled down at Tanelia.

“Your reflexes have gotten better. There are still problems with your defense. Allow your body to flow like the river, not like a babbling brook. Your weapon is part of you. No matter what form it takes, it is an extension of your body.” Saelihn helped Tanelia up and motioned for her to grab her dagger again. While she was a few inches shorter, Saelihn never let that bother her. She knew how to use her target's body against them. When Tanelia landed a blow that caused her lip to bleed, Saelihn ran her tongue over the wound. “Better, but that is going to cost you.” Tanelia made sure to duck out of the way. The blow to her rib cage created an opening that Saelihn needed. Within a blink of an eye, Saelihn was off of the ground and her legs had wrapped around Tanelia’s neck. As Tanelia was dropped to the ground, Saelihn stood above her with a smile on her face. “Our training is done for the day, young elf.” Tanelia pushed herself up slowly and rubbed her back. She had no idea Saelihn could use so much force to take her down. With their training over, she would finally be able to do what she enjoyed. 

Sleep was not something that came easily to Jaxon. After Saelihn had left and he had tried to sleep but to no avail. In these moments, which he had frequently, if he hadn’t turned to spending the entire night with a woman, he did the alternative. He twisted the glowing orb in his fingers gently, closing his eyes and allowing himself to teleport inside. Even if an elf had wandered into his room, he had nothing to hide. They wouldn’t even notice the orb half under the blankets probably. Even if someone had taken it, he would teleport out wherever the orb ended up and be able to take it back with no issue. Jaxon sighed heavily as he stared around at the generations of books and journals that scattered the room. He had managed to read quite a few of them already, however he had a very long way to go if he wanted to discover all of the secrets his family bloodline had to offer. Jaxon rummaged through the different books until one he hadn’t seen before caught his eye. Curious, he opened it and began reading. To his surprise, it was his father’s, yet this hadn’t been about magic or madness; it was of a woman. Could this be the woman that Saelihn had spoken about? His mother?

_‘…Her beauty captivated me the very moment I laid my eyes on her. She was quiet, always in the back of any crowd but easily noticed if you knew to look for her. Her long, straight blond hair glowed bright in the summer sun, rivaling the sun itself. Her laughter made her beauty that much more. It had become my life’s mission to see her smile and laugh as much as possible. Even with my wife and child at home, all I want is her…’_ Jaxon skipped a few more pages, attempting to find anything relevant, though he couldn’t so much as even find a name. His father didn’t want this woman found. It wasn’t until he saw Saelihn’s name that he stopped skipping and began to read again.

_‘…Saelihn won’t speak to me anymore. I have tried again and again, but she is adamant I kill this woman I love so dearly. However, Saelihn knows something about her that I cannot see. She is certain the woman is a demon. I must save the child if that is so. Whatever sanity I may have left must be used to protect my child. If Saelihn is correct, and she is very rarely wrong, then not only is my life in danger, but the child’s and that of the people of my kingdom. I cannot allow a demon to take my power or that of my child. Surely, she would use him as a vessel to store the Coventry powers until she needs them most. The child will not survive if that is the case. As soon as the child is born, I will send him to my personal blacksmith, since no one knows where or who I get my blades from. Surely, they could keep the child safe and out of sight…’_ Jaxon shifted uncomfortably as he continued on, in hopes of finding any semblance of information.

_‘…She’s coming. I know it’s her. She knows I hid the boy close by. I may have just failed him. He must never find her, his mother. She will use him to rain chaos down from the sky and destroy everything he holds dear. She haunts me every night in my dreams…Saelihn was right, she’s a demon of unbeknownst powers. I may have doomed the world with my son…my son…I saw him today. He never knew it was me, but I watched from a distance as he hammered away next to the man that he calls father. The two of them laughing and working. How I wish I could tell him…I hope for now, my distance can keep him safe…_   
_…To my son: If you are reading this, that means you are King, and you are learning to use your magic. That said, do not falter to your demonic powers. They flow through your veins just as strongly as your powers from the Coventry line. You must not allow them to corrupt your mind. If they win…you will destroy this world and destroy everyone you love. I pray that you have not been turned to their side as of yet. Make the right choices at all costs, do not allow them to take you. If they get ahold of your powers, this world as you know it will surely end. Find Saelihn, Drak, Valyne, Anahetta and Rea. They are the five that will assist you in your fight against the demonic forces. They can help you keep the darkness at bay. I never got a chance to meet you personally, but I do know this, you’ve grown up to be a strong, independent and hard-working man. I have saved all the wealth I could since your birth and have signed many deeds to your name, Jaxon. You are without a doubt the true heir and you will have a brand-new life. Find love and treasure it dearly and take care of the woman…or women…you choose to keep at your side. Father many children and most of all, make happiness your one true virtue. Without it…the darkness will creep up when you least expect it. I will always love you my son.’_

Jaxon stared at the end of the journal, fighting back the emotion that snuck up on him. He had always hated the King of Gahara for his ruthlessness and wacked out mind, yet as he learned about the man, he couldn’t help but regret never having the chance to get to know him personally. He squeezed the book shut and took a deep breath. Jaxon would stop at nothing to ensure that the corruption didn’t spread in him. He would ensure that he would live a life of happiness and not allow the demonic corruption to get to him, though that could just be a matter of time. Jaxon finally exited the orb after what felt like hours, though he knew it had only been minutes in the real world. He rummaged through his packs, finding the potion that Valona had made especially for him, downing a quarter of the bottle in one gulp. If it wasn’t for Valona, he would probably never sleep. There was too much on his mind for him to do it on his own, yet he did just take significantly more than he was told to. In an almost instant, Jaxon’s head hit the pillow and he fell into the deepest sleep he had ever had.

_Jaxon!...A woman’s voice was calling to him. He didn’t recognize the voice at all. All that surrounded him was utter darkness…JAXON!...the voice was much louder now, but he still couldn’t see where it was coming from. His arms spread out in front of him as if to try and feel for some sort of surface, but the only thing he felt was air. He could feel his brows furrow in frustration, that is until his hands felt across a soft surface. It wasn’t rock…or sand…or grass…it was…flesh?_  
Jaxon’s eyes snapped open as he sat up straight in his bed. Valona was staring down at him curiously, her arms folded across her chest as she sat at the foot of his bed. 

“Nightmare?” Valona spoke in a calm tone. Jaxon groaned, putting his hand to his face. 

“I’m…not sure?” Valona smacked him hard against the side of the head, catching a glare from Jaxon in the process. 

“Are you an idiot? You do realize you took enough of that potion I gave you to kill you three times over. How is it that you are not dead?” Her anger was justified, though Jaxon had no idea the potion could kill him. He did remember she vaguely mentioned only using a small amount though he couldn’t for the life of him remember how much.

“Maybe it’s the demon blood in me.” He laughed jokingly, pushing himself up out of bed and grabbing his pants. Valona was less shocked by Jaxon’s free-spirited sleeping arrangements and more shocked by the statement he just said. 

“What do you mean…demon blood?” 

“According to Saelihn and from a journal I found of my father’s, my mother was a demon.” Valona stared shocked at Jaxon as he dressed for the training he planned for that day. 

“Jaxon…do you know what that means?” Jaxon shrugged as he adjusted his armor.

“That means the level of magical affinity you have…will far surpass any of the Coventry line before you. Jaxon…I fear that the madness could affect you twice as hard or maybe not even at all. The Coventry line has always been pure human. I have no idea the levels of magic or madness you will be capable of, however I do know the demons have been seeking your family’s magic for generations. If you even let slip that you have demonic blood, this could be an all-out manhunt for your head…” Jaxon shrugged and faced his sorceress. 

“For now, only you and Saelihn know the truth.” 

“Jaxon, you must try and solidify your alliance with Saelihn. Just because she is one of the Five doesn’t mean…” 

“I’m already working on that Valona. If all goes according to plan, Saelihn will hopefully join my kingdom and be the start of the consorts I plan on having. If I play my cards right, I’ll get Tanelia as well and start getting this line solidified.” Jaxon stared down at Valona who seemed rather impressed.

“I do hope you play your cards right. Having two elves of Ela Alora, especially two high ranking ones, could keep a strong alliance between the two Kingdoms. Will they even agree though, considering your other half to your bloodline?” Valona had meant the demon blood and it was no secret that the elves hated demons. Though, considering Saelihn did lay with him once already, there was no telling if she’d willingly mother any children. In terms of his bloodline, only time would tell if that worked out. 

“One must have hope, right?” He smirked over at Valona, though her worries were justified. Having heirs come from these two elves would be greatly beneficial, and from the way things were looking, the sooner he started his lineage, the better.  
For now, he had to shift his focus to the more pressing matter; Racht and his armies. Jaxon and Valona stepped out into the training fields, though from the looks of it, he was up earlier than he had intended. His eyes scanned the elven ranks, watching the swift and fluid movements of the elves. His eyes found Saelihn and Tanelia training together, though he had to admit, he was quite impressed with the force behind Saelihn. Jaxon waited until the two were done training, though he didn’t get a chance to call out to Saelihn before she left Tanelia for her own training. 

Tanelia decided to practice with her bow. Moving targets were fun to strike, but today was all about targets placed in hard to strike areas. She might not have been good at close range combat, but she excelled when it came to her bow. As she hit each of her targets, she wondered if she would see Jaxon again. While she sucked at close range combat, something about being close to him did not seem all that bad in her mind. The fact that they would have to face Racht soon meant that the captains would have to wrap up their training. None wanted to disturb Jaxon since they had no idea how much sleep a human needed. When he was up and ready, they were willing to talk to him about plans on bringing down Racht’s army.  
Jaxon smirked, walking casually next to her as he watched the precision she had with her bow. 

“You’re really good with that bow. Glad to know you’re on my team.” His tone was joking but he was quite serious as he smirked over at her causing Tanelia to look back at him. She had not expected to see him up this early, but she was happy that he was up. A smile came to her face and she did her best not to smile too hard at his compliment. She didn’t know why she liked it when he came around. After the dance they shared, she could not get him off of her mind. While she could not do other things with him, she could still enjoy his company. One of these days she wanted to sit up and talk with him. Without having to worry about falling asleep when things were starting to get good. As long as she stayed in this kingdom, she would have to worry about such things. Yet, something in her wanted to rebel.

There was a time that she grew tired of taking the elixirs. She wanted to stop one night, but Queen Yepha warned her that it was a bad idea. Terrible things would happen to her and those that she cared for, if she stopped drinking. A bit of her was curious to see what would happen but causing others harm was out of the question. There was no one she could talk to about this matter. Saelihn knew that she took her elixir every night, but Tanelia never told her why. The queen said it was best that such matters remained between the two of them. It was like their little secret. Since the queen mentioned that her mother wanted this for her, Tanelia did as she was told. At the start, after she downed the contents, the queen would tell her small things about her mother. It was never enough to fill the void in her heart. It was enough to ease her into her sleep.

From the way things were going, one of these days she might be able to actually sleep with another elf. When she first arrived, she was kept separate from the others. When she turned eighty, she was finally allowed to have her own room. For the queen to promote her to captain, that was saying a lot. In the back of her mind, she wondered if something was wrong. After the last battle, Tanelia had not forgiven herself. Elves kept telling her that she had done everything that needed to be done. That was a lie and she knew it. She hated lying to people, but the queen told her it was for the best. If she had tapped into the power that she felt flowing through her veins, so many would still be alive. Using the sacred tree was out of the question. Tanelia was forced to watch as elves around her died. With another battle on the horizon, death was not something she wanted to face again. She did not want anything bad to happen to Atrin or Saelihn. As she looked towards the humans, she worried about them as well. Humans were not as agile as elves. She knew that most of them would die. After seeing them rather happy, the last thing she wanted was for them to die. She did not want them to die and join Racht’s undead army. A fate like that was something not even a goblin deserved. Everything deserved a chance to die of old age or at least find some type of peace. When she looked back to Jaxon, she thought about losing him.

With the air surrounding Jaxon and Tanelia was warm and calm, it was quickly becoming a feeling Jaxon could easily get used to if the world would let him. Rather than train for battle, he could learn more about the gentler natured elf at his side. Even as she proved her skills with the bow, Jaxon wondered what was in store for her in the coming battle. He glanced around taking in the stunning nature that surrounded them on all sides followed by the many able-bodied and very capable elven soldiers. There was no doubt in his mind that they could hold their own, but against a demon army; that would be a death wish for any who chose to do alone. It wasn’t like Jaxon had experience with demons or battle either. He was as green as they came when it really came down to the details. He’d been in plenty of fist fights in his life, growing up in a poverty-stricken village tends to make people violent especially when you steal from each other just for scraps. Like a pack of starving wolves on the brink of extinction. Jaxon glanced down at his leather gloves, even those were pristine quality, something he had never even been able to see let alone touch. When one grows up in poverty in a kingdom where the status line is all that matters, one doesn’t understand the real quality of life on the other side. Even as Jaxon had his fun this first week of being King, there was still much that left him uneasy about this new life.

Valona had helped Jaxon adjust to keeping his excitement and surprise to a minimum. A King who doesn’t understand the luxury, the resources available, the lengths people would be willing to go for them…all of it, he had to put on a mask of indifference from the moment he agreed to take up the mantle and rule. Deep down, he was just a young, 24-year-old guy who wanted to have as much fun as he could before he was to face death’s door and start knocking. The battle coming was something he continuously pushed from his brain, yet as he stood there next to Tanelia and monitored her and the other human and elven soldiers alike, a bit of him couldn’t help but wonder how many would return afterwards. How many were going to die because he asked them to? 

For Tanelia, Jaxon was an interesting human, one that had a good heart. It was a trait she did not expect to see on a human. Especially after having to deal with Racht. He spoke from the heart and it was clear that he cared. He was not out for his own glory and that meant a lot to her. The fact that he was willing to face Racht alone spoke volumes to her. A spark like that deserved to be protected in the next battle, by any means possible. It was just a shame that she did not have a charm to keep him safe. For once she found herself wishing that his sorceress had something for him. Instead of dwelling on that matter, Tanelia looked towards some fruit that had been tossed up into the air. All she needed was one arrow to hit all three targets. What mattered was making sure she hit them at the right time. As they fell into place, Tanelia released her arrow. Before the arrow could hit the ground Atrin caught it. He plucked one of the fruits from the arrow and moved over towards them. 

“Marvelous shot Tanelia. You always were talented with your bow.” Atrin offered her a piece of the fruit that he had bitten into, but she shook her head. It wasn’t that Jaxon disliked Atrin. Jaxon could understand the lack of comfortability that Atrin had regarding Jaxon and the humans. He also probably thought often of the plight ahead of them and whether the humans and this young king would even be capable fighting at their sides. It was all things Jaxon would probably think if he were in Atrin’s shoes, but Jaxon wouldn’t feed the ego of the elf that seemed to enjoy trying to step between him and the elves. While Jaxon respected Atrin to a point, he wasn’t going to allow Atrin off easy if he could help it.

“You are pretty amazing yourself. I wish I could use a sword the way you do.” Tanelia offered him a warm smile. Despite the sword’s destructive nature, the way Atrin moved with his blade was mesmerizing. It was graceful and the sound it made when it cut through the air was soothing. Atrin moved wonderfully and she knew it had taken him over one hundred years to perfect.

“I could actually teach you if you wanted.” Tanelia noticed that Atrin was trying to cut her off from Jaxon. Before something like that could happen, she reached out and took a hold of Jaxon’s wrist causing a small look of surprise on Jaxon's face.

“That sounds wonderful, but I am busy with Jaxon at the moment.” Jaxon smirked at Atrin slyly as Tanelia grabbed his wrist. He didn’t need to say a word for Atrin to know what was running through his brain. Tanelia was quite capable of handling herself, though if Atrin really pushed Jaxon had no issue stopping him. Though, a part of him wondered why Atrin acted the way he did. From the sounds and mostly the looks of things, elves weren’t a jealous race, yet Atrin made Jaxon believe differently. Maybe he just didn’t like a human interfering with two elves, and it wasn’t necessarily jealousy but protectiveness, or if he really truly didn’t like Jaxon around them at all. Not for nothing, Jaxon wouldn’t be opposed to finding out which nerves ticked Atrin the most in regard to the women he’d had at his side between Saelihn and Tanelia. Before Atrin could open his mouth, Saelihn took his apple from his hand and shoved it into his mouth. 

“Like she said, she has plans with Jaxon. Now Atrin, come along I am ready to put you on your back again.” Jaxon’s eyes glazed over Saelihn as she stopped Atrin from speaking on the matter anymore, the smirk on his face only growing a bit more. It was certainly an interesting feeling to have a woman he’d bedded step in between his time with another and someone else. Not to mention, Saelihn in more of an armored attire was a sight to behold that was certain. These elves and their beauty were something Jaxon wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to. Every time they moved or spoke, he was practically in awe. Back home the most interesting women didn’t even hold a candle to the beauty of these elves, but that was also like comparing a ragged stone to a river rock. Each would be beautiful on their own if you knew how to break them open and glance at what was inside. Tanelia didn’t know why Saelihn came to her rescue. She was glad that her friend was taking Atrin away. Once the two had been moved away, her attention turned back towards Jaxon. 

“I don’t know what has gotten into him, but anyway thank you. I am glad to know that we are on the same side as well.” Tanelia placed her bow down and looked him over. His men were around him training. While they were not as graceful as the elves, they still were doing a good job. Instead of focusing on them, she plucked the apple shaped fruit from her arrow and took a bite from it. While it looked like an apple, it tasted like an apple mixed with a pineapple. Even though she had no interest in sharing with Atrin, the idea of sharing with Jaxon did not bother her.

“Would you like a bite?” Jaxon smiled at Tanelia’s voice pulling him from his thoughts with her question. He moved his hand over her wrist and held her hand that cupped the apple, pulling it to his mouth to take a bite. The flavor was extra sweet, something he would enjoy eating on a hot and peaceful summer day. It was a feeling he felt whenever he saw Tanelia, he would love to be at her side during such a time, maybe even sharing more of these sweet apples.

“Delicious…” He smirked at her as her eyes traveled over his body and for a moment. She wondered how he looked out of everything. If she was truly curious, she could ask Saelihn how he looked. Hearing Saelihn talk about the elves she slept with got her through some tough times. She was sure the queen had a good reason for telling her not to sleep with men. It was just a shame she did not fully understand. 

“I was wondering, what will become of you after this battle is over. Will you visit here or are you going to pull out right away.” She understood if he left, after all he had a kingdom to run. That would be rather foolish of him to leave his kingdom on its own. She was certain that once he left, her life would go back to normal. Her thoughts about what she was missing or even him would come to an end. Maybe for once she would actually get a chance to relax. Then again, there was no telling who would come after them next. Since they were allies did that also mean someone would have to stick with Jaxon? Did that mean that if he called, they would come rushing? The last thing she wanted was for them to arrive too late. As a new king, he didn’t really have the luxury of staying away for too long. His goal was to protect his kingdom, gain new allies and take down Racht’s armies. She felt that this sort of victory would surely allow the kingdom to feel more at ease with Jaxon on the throne, giving him more freedoms to explore new places and make more allies.

“I would imagine I would have to leave soon after the battle I am sure, but I’d truly like to stay for a little longer if I’m being honest. The hospitality your kind has shown me has set the bar rather high, not to mention, I doubt the welcome home would be as warm as I’m hoping for.” Jaxon sighed, crossing his arms and really thinking about home, though for some reason, speaking with Tanelia made his thoughts come out easier than they would otherwise. “My kingdom isn’t nearly as forthcoming as yours to new people. After my father died I’m pretty sure that my kingdom would rather the Coventry line just rot to hell at this point, but since he made a bastard son I guess they just have to deal with me ‘til I get driven through with a sword or something. Us winning tomorrow would help my kingdom ease up with me on the throne for sure…they’d finally get some sort of hope for peace and that’s something I don’t want to take from them. So, if returning immediately is what I need to do I will do it…but I would really like to know…would you ever consider coming to visit? I know you just got promoted to Captain, so asking you to leave your own kingdom would be far-fetched, but there’s always a place for you should you want to leave here even if it is for a short while.” Jaxon had certainly thought of Tanelia coming back to the kingdom with him just as much as he thought about Saelihn doing the same. The likelihood of either woman coming back with him was stretching it thin at best. Even after his night with Saelihn, he was quite determined to have her by his side, but logically speaking, she wouldn’t leave this kingdom unless he had something better to offer and that was still maybe at best. He wasn’t completely stupid in his thoughts, even if he allowed them to pour freely to either woman. Though, his thoughts weren’t just about his line, even if that was a major part of it all, a larger part of him wanted these women for his own selfish desires. His line continuing would just be a benefit to come naturally from that if they agreed.

Tanelia did her best to hide her emotions. It should not have bothered her to hear that he might have to leave. There was nothing that could be done about that. After all, he was a king. His people needed him more than anything. It would be foolish and unreasonable for him to stay with her any longer. Allies or not, there were things that needed everyone’s attention. Their bond did not mean that they got to neglect any of their responsibilities. While her heart was crushed by what he had said, she kept listening. It was a shame that his people hated his bloodline. She truly hoped that their eyes would open soon, and they would realize that Jaxon was a good king. She had not met his father, but she knew Jaxon would be far better than him. As her mind started to focus on him, suddenly she began to think about the questions he asked her. It took her a moment, but once she found her words she did not hold back.

“If we win and all goes well, I would not mind coming to visit you. I would like to see how you have grown of course. In regard to your people liking you, not in any other way. Although that would be good to see as well. Anyway, even though you claim the last bit to be farfetched, some of those are the best ideas. Maybe before you die of old age, I will come and spend some time with you. I am sure Queen Yepha may not mind.” That was a bit of a lie. The Queen was not going to deny her a chance to see Jaxon again. She would always be a captain. Since she lived longer than Jaxon, she placed visiting him above all else. His life span was short, and she wanted to see him again. Even when he had gray hair or looked like a dried fruit, she would still want to see him. These ideas of him aging meant that they had to make it past tomorrow. She was going to do her best to ensure that he stayed alive. Losing someone else to Racht was out of the question.

“Hey kid…er…your majesty…” Jaxon glanced at the giant general and let out a chuckle as Ivar approached. The man was far from used to the difference in roles between the two men and Jaxon truly didn’t care. However, being in a different kingdom than their own and talking so freely could look pretty bad.

“Sorry sir, I wanted to let you know after my observations here that we may want to use some different tactics when the battle comes tomorrow. I’ve been going over the war plans and taking into account the enemy we are fighting against; I do not think marching forward traditionally will allow us to win. With our elven allies, we can give ourselves a high advantage dragging Racht’s armies into a different clearing north of here that allows the trees to surround, giving us a significant advantage. They would be tunneling through, which would make for easy pickings and those that do make it in would be completely surrounded.” As the men talked, Tanelia took her leave. She took the tone in the Ivar’s voice as a sign of him wanting to talk about important matters. Even though they were in an alliance, she knew better than to overstay her welcome. Without bothering to say anything, she moved towards Atrin and Saelihn.

“Even so, do you think Racht and his armies are stupid enough to put themselves in a position like that?” Valona’s voice rang from behind Ivar and Jaxon immediately had a bad feeling. Her wide smirk and fire in her eyes told him to tuck tail and run. She only ever looked like that when Jaxon got the upper hand on her in training and the retaliation was terrifying. 

“That’s where you come in, your majesty. Ever since our discussion…I have a plan and you are going to be the most important part of it.” Jaxon groaned at the thought of what was to come. However, knowing Valona and Ivar, their keen senses of strategy and cunning combined should make for an interesting outcome for the upcoming battle. 

Jaxon watched as Tanelia had made her way away from his council as they spoke. Curiosity set in as he wondered why a Captain of the Elven army wouldn’t stay and listen. Maybe it had been out of respect? He listened intently nonetheless as Ivar and Valona spoke to him of the upcoming battle plans. Jaxon would lead the human army and line them up facing the northern portion of the clearing. Behind the clearing was nothing but a deep ravine with a flowing river below. If Racht’s army passes through the northwestern path, it will bring them directly to the clearing and give Jaxon’s army the advantage. It would also allow the elven archers to surround Racht’s army. At the same time the elven army could use the trees to keep them hidden and provide them with protection. It would be more than wise to pin Racht’s army against certain death. 

Jaxon admired this plan, and while he was at the front of the action, Ivar would be there with him and Valona would be in the back handling the earth around them. She gave Jaxon the briefest glimpse into her magic. She was an earthen sorceress, capable of altering the earth, stone, and rock around them. With the ravine at their backs, as long as Jaxon’s army doesn’t rush blindly, Valona could take out most of his army by eroding the rock behind them. 

“There’s only one problem with this…” Valona crossed her arms, a slight pained expression crossing her face. “There’s rumor that those who are plagued by the possessions of demons can possibly be saved. But even I haven’t found any evidence of such or even a whisper of how we’d even go about saving those possessed in the first place. It’s a risk we shouldn’t take unless we are absolutely certain we can do it, but I’m confident it will lead to more death.”

“Have you spoken with the elves of their knowledge?” If anyone would know of something, he was certain the elves would be the first obvious ones to know. 

“I spoke briefly with Queen Yepha for as long as she would allow, though even her resources are limited as well. We are fighting something the world has never truly seen before. Demons have plagued the world, but never full armies, never possessing more than a few humans from time to time. What we are dealing with now is on an unprecedented scale.” Jaxon didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like the unknown in the slightest, yet it would seem ever since he put on the crown, everything he tried to learn of still had left him with more questions than answers. Nothing was ever simple, and if saving any of those possessed meant losing more of the lives of his army, he wouldn’t risk it. Too many of these men had more to lose than even he did, Jaxon refused to let too many die. If he had to, he would sacrifice himself for the lives of the men around him, so long as the demonic plague would end with him. That was not the case. The demons were vast legions sprawling this world and the more he had researched and discussed with Valona, the more he realized that giving his life this early on would do absolutely nothing. Racht’s army was just the tip of the iceberg in many long battles to come. 

"Then we do what we must, the lives of everyone here mean a great deal more than the small chance at saving any of Racht's people." Valona and Ivar nodded, though Jaxon honestly didn’t want to dwell on the amount of grim thoughts that plagued his mind, yet more than ever he had to be realistic about what could come. Valona had warned him during his magical training that to use his time magic would most certainly unlock the madness within him. Every time he used it, it would spread deeper within him until he couldn’t discern reality from dream, everything forever being a nightmare. He had to use his time magic sparingly, and thus, even if he should come close to death or suffer a fatal wound, Jaxon did not want to go out with any bit of madness in his mind. He would only use the time magic if he absolutely needed it, if someone like Tanelia or Saelihn were on the brink of death, only then he would use it. Though as grim as his thoughts were becoming with the upcoming battle, his eyes stayed glued to the sight of the girls and Atrin in front of him. Jealousy may not be in the elves natures, but it was certainly a human nature and Jaxon was far from perfect.

As Jaxon dealt with his group, Saelihn made it her goal to keep Atrin away from them. She had no idea why he had to make his presence known. It was not like he actually wanted Tanelia. Saelihn had spoken to him in the past and he had no interest in her. Especially after he had learned that no one was allowed to sleep with her. Life in his opinion was hectic enough and he was in no mood to just have friends. Saelihn respected his stance. It was how she felt about some things. Of course, she kept her distance for a range of reasons. Having him interfere anymore with Jaxon was out of the question.

Jaxon had made it clear that he wanted children. While Tanelia stayed in this kingdom she was not going to give him any. Allowing the two to become friends or whatever was fine in her eyes. No harm could be done. She was rather curious as to what would happen as the years went on. She had left his father when he possibly needed her the most. Then again Jaxon’s father was a fool and had lost all hope in her eyes. Having someone there to talk reason into his ears was important for Jaxon. He might not realize it, but a friend could be a helping benefactor. Out of all the elves that she knew, Tanelia was the only elf crazy enough to stick by anyone despite the dangers. She had seen it in battle and in their everyday life. If Jaxon just wanted kids, maybe he would sleep with her and then be on his way. All of it was rather hard to tell and Saelihn just knew one thing. She needed to keep Atrin away from messing up the web she was spinning. This web needed to reach far into the future. A jealous elf was not going to get in the way of her plans. As their blades collided once more, Saelihn glared up at him. His anger was making it a bit tricky to take him down. She knew a few tricks but using them would raise suspicion. Instead she decided to get into his head.

“Worried that he is going to pluck Tanelia?” 

“No one will ever pluck her, or have you forgotten.” 

“No elf will ever pluck her. Nothing was ever said about a human.” Her comment caught him off guard and she used it to drop him to his knees. As his sword was knocked from his hand, Saelihn rested her blade on the side of his neck before smiling. 

“You don’t want any friends Atrin. Besides she is a friendly elf. There is nothing for you to worry about. When this battle ends, he will be on his way. We may never see him again.” Atrin pushed himself up slowly and glared in Jaxon’s direction. 

“He brings a sorceress among us and then he has the nerve to flirt with our women. It would not surprise me if the three were planning something.” 

“We will see on the battlefield. I doubt that he will turn on us. After all, if he does, I will put an arrow through his neck.” 

“Always with the slow deaths.” 

“It causes a person to reflect.” 

Saelihn motioned for Atrin to pick up his sword once more. She should have known that Atrin would not fully like Jaxon. Aside from his hate for humans, Jaxon was associated with a sorceress. In her opinion Valona was not all that bad. She knew better than to trust a human right away. Their battle would tell her everything that she needed to know. For the time being, she was going to focus on what was going on around her.

Tanelia knew better than to interrupt Saelihn and Atrin. She did not like that Atrin still felt hostile towards Jaxon. Yelling at him would only make things worse. Instead of doing anything, she watched as Atrin retrieved his sword once more and began to attack Saelihn. No matter what Atrin did, Saelihn would not allow him to win. There were a few moments when he looked to be on top, but that never lasted long. When Saelihn kneed him in his groin, their friendly match came to an end. 

“That was rather dirty.” Tanelia scolded her friend and moved to help Atrin up off of the ground. Despite being scolded Saelihn did not seem to care. She dusted her blade off and placed it away on the rack. 

“Atrin are you okay?” Tanelia spoke to him in a rather soothing manner.

“Fine.” Atrin had tried to speak in a confident tone, but the pain was too much to ignore. To help ease his pain, Tanelia rubbed his back lightly in a comforting way. When Saelihn approached Tanelia continued to glare at her. 

“Are you going to apologize?” 

“For winning, no. I told him to expect the unexpected and it was clear he did not. No worries I am not all that heartless.” Saelihn placed her hand on his groin but did not bother to squeeze him. The fact that he had flinched only added to her amusement. 

“To make it up to you, how about I take care of you later on tonight. After all we will be riding into battle soon and you have earned the right to a good night. Unless of course you want to spend your night with that bubbly elf again. Tell me, is she as enjoyable as I hear?” Atrin forced himself to stand up tall and pulled Saelihn close to him. Before Tanelia could move away, he wrapped his arm around her waist. 

“No need for you to worry about her replacing you. You and I can spend as much time as you want together. Before that, I do hope Tanelia you will spend some time with me. Unless of course you want to spend it getting to know the humans.” Tanelia could not help but to pout at Atrin’s comment. He could be rather unreasonable at times.

“I don’t understand what is going through your mind. I find humans fascinating because I have not seen them before. Well ones outside of Racht’s army that is. They are rather interesting to behold.” Atrin’s charm started to falter as he spoke to Tanelia, “I can tell you have not been around them. If you have seen what I have seen, you would act the same way. Tell me, what brings you over here. You put up a fight to stay with him and now here you are in my arms.” Saelihn had not bothered to chime in to protect Tanelia this time. Instead she found herself looking towards Jaxon and trying to focus on what was being said in their circle. She had not forgotten the smart remark Atrin had cracked. Tonight, she was going to tease him in such a way that it would leave tears in the male’s eyes. 

“I moved away out of respect. They were talking about things and I figured it was something they wanted to keep to themselves.” Atrin wrapped both of his arms around Tanelia’s waist and looked down into her eyes. 

“We are allies now. If anything, they should be sharing information with us. What can you expect for humans? They like to keep things to themselves. Fear not, I will keep you protected just like I did last time.” Tanelia allowed a light smile to come to her face as she thought about what he had done. He had fought with such grace despite the anger that altered his features. If it had not been for him and Llewel then she was certain she would have been dead. Llewel had been the true brave one and she was going to make sure the past did not repeat itself. 

“I will never forget the way that you fought. You are truly a good person despite how you are currently acting.” Despite his earlier remarks, Tanelia began to smile up at him as she spoke. Saelihn let out a low sigh and turned to look back at the two. She was not shocked to see that Tanelia had stayed in his arms. She was not the type that liked to reject people when they were being sincere. If Atrin kept pressing his luck, Saelihn was sure Tanelia would act differently. Regardless, she was tired of it all. 

“You two can be rather annoying at times. He is just being overly protective. Watching people die that you are supposed to protect leaves a nasty mental scare. In all honesty his feelings are justified. A human army is the reason we were attacked. Humans are greedy and concerned with their own wellbeing. They start off good and then suddenly change. One human has caused us a lot of grief and another comes with talks of peace on his agile tongue. Racht is strong because he sided with a demon. Jaxon has a sorceress. Do you see how unbalanced the scales are because of human’s greed? In the end Atrin knows the limits of a human, as do most of us. Which means that a human cannot truly protect you. While they are interesting, always remember that humans are not magical, just interesting.” 

“Very observant words Saelihn. Let us not forget that a sorceress cannot be trusted. They might as well be demons as far as I am concerned. We are allies but, in the end, it is my duty to keep you safe. There is no telling what they are over there plotting, and you will be wise to keep an open mind.” Atrin spoke in a rather serious tone, but it was clear that he was concerned about her wellbeing. While Tanelia noted both of their concerns, it still did not change her view on things.

“Fear clouds many minds and prevents one from seeing good. I know what Racht has done. I was there when it all happened. One human’s mistake is not to be passed onto another. We judge each one separately. Until his sorceress acts differently, then she will be treated fairly. We have to trust each other if we are going to live.” Tanelia spoke with wisdom that many elves associated with their queen. Saelihn allowed her hand to rest on Atrin’s arm. 

“She brings up a good point. Need I remind you that sorceresses are nothing more than some kind of human abomination. In the end they will bleed when run through with a blade just like a human. While you are worried about us, try to stay alive. I rather like beating on you, it relaxes me.” Saelihn was not worried about Jaxon or Valona. Those two did not worry her or bother her the way that they did Atrin. Having information on them was helpful. While sharing some things might ease their doubts, it would only cause questions to come up. Answering those questions was not possible. She just had to go with soothing words for the time being. The fact that Atrin had relaxed under her touch meant that he had heard everything. 

“What do you suppose the humans are talking about?” There was no anger in Atrin’s voice as he spoke.

“I am sure you can hear some things. If you truly want to know why not go over there.” Tanelia spoke in a rather matter of fact way. When Atrin went to move, Saelihn grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“Hold fast. We are allies in the end. If he wants us to be included in his plans, then he should come to us. He came to us seeking help. He can come to us if he has something worth sharing. After all, he knows there is tension. If he wants to be viewed as wise, he must act accordingly. No need for us to do all the work.” The look Saelihn gave Tanelia was enough to stop the female from moving. Saelihn was right in a sense. In this way, she was teaching Jaxon another lesson. He was a young king and there were many things that he needed to learn.

Jaxon quickly shook the grim thoughts of death from his mind before glancing over at the girls and Atrin. His eyes travelled over Atrin’s hands on Tanelia, and while they were not his women, not yet anyway, to get jealous was completely childish, though as Jaxon stared, he couldn’t help but get more annoyed by the second. Why were the captains all separated from Jaxon’s council? What was Atrin’s game? Was he trying to set off a spark in Jaxon?   
It took more than a moment for Jaxon to cool his head and quit feeling childish before he motioned for his council to follow, making his way to the circle of elven captains. He was not going to segregate or be segregated against in times like these with war around the corner. Information he needed would be heard by everyone who needed to hear it, that included lowly soldiers of both races if need be. 

“If you all are done flirting over here, I hope to get your opinions on the battle plans that Ivar and Valona have come up with.” Jaxon let the smirk play across his lips, knowing full well it sparked something in each of the three as he spoke. “You have one path to the northwest of the forest that leads directly to a clearing with a giant ravine at its back. Do you have anyone who can manage to draw the attention of Racht’s army directly to that path? With these plans, we can surely turn the tide in our favor, regardless of the numbers of people at his disposal.” Jaxon allowed Ivar and Valona to explain the plan before continuing. “My soldiers are at your disposal, so take who you need to enact this distraction. Once they reach the clearing, Valona will erode the rock behind them and that should reduce quite a large amount of their numbers. All swordsmen and shield bearers will take point in the middle of the clearing, archers to the trees. Anyone that is able do magic, will be in back with Valona protected by the army at all cost. Racht’s sorcerer Rayne will likely be out of sight, so the moment we have eyes on him, send out a signal. He will be my primary focus from then on.” 

Jaxon glanced over at the elven captains awaiting their opinions. Jaxon wasn’t the only one who was meant to plan for the strategy. These were elven lands; it would be by their grace or view that would change the tide of how their strategy would work. Jaxon was far from fluent in battle or strategy, though he could vividly remember the blacksmith talk of old stories of different wars and battles. Jaxon’s favorite was the tale of Zaranai, the legendary swordsman from hundreds of years prior. Legend had it that Zaranai was so strong in battle, he could kill dozens of enemy soldiers in one incredible swing of his two-handed sword. There were parades and parties, songs told of the amazing Zaranai, until one day…he died in the most mysterious way of all: sitting up, drink in hand in the middle of one of the festivities. No one could tell whether it was poison or natural causes, but even Jaxon couldn’t help but feel that Zaranai deserved a much more honorable death. 

Jaxon wondered what kind of death he would want if he had a choice. It was a toss-up between dying in the arms of a beautiful woman or a quick death in the midst of battle. Either would suffice, though he was certain he did not want to go out like his father. Death by poison. It would be painful he was certain and not just that, it would be far too slow. It would prove he had gotten too complacent with his surroundings to not notice, and that would be dangerous. For now, though, the only thoughts he needed to focus on were for the battle the following day. Protecting his soldiers, as well as the elves, were his top priorities and it would mean he would be unleashing his magic front and center for all of the two armies to witness firsthand. It would be a sight to behold, that was for sure. When Jaxon was done talking, Atrin was the first to speak up. 

“You can keep your soldiers. In a matter like this, they will only slow us down.” Saelihn cleared her throat and glared at Atrin. She felt the same way, but there was a way to say things at times. 

“Our sacred tree holds importance that you humans will not fully understand. While we are skilled in many ways, our tree is the most important to us. Thus, most of us will be protecting the forest line. As you said, archers in the trees are a beautiful thing. Since we understand the importance of being evenly spread, we will take some of your humans to protect the forest line. Those of us that have any connection to the earth will gladly stay in the back with Valona. They will provide us with the added protection if things get a bit out of hand.” Saelihn looked towards Tanelia when Saelihn said her next statement. 

“In a battle like this, you are far better staying in the forest. You can ensure that the tree stays safe.” 

“I don’t want to hide in the tree.” Tanelia was not about to be kept in the back. She had a right to see action just like the others.

Jaxon could see the frustration in Tanelia’s eyes when she spoke. No one liked to be told to stay behind or guard something, though he had no idea why Saelihn said what she did. While he felt bad for Tanelia, he wasn’t going to step on the toes of the other two Captains who probably had more experience than she in battle. 

“What you want is not of importance. The last I checked; you are better with your arrow. If you want to be of any help, and avoid the past repeating itself, stay in the forest.” Saelihn was not trying to be harsh, but these were the facts. Tanelia was not good with a sword. While the back did not see a lot of action, at least it meant she would not be harmed. The fact that Atrin had not said anything meant that he was backing her play. No one thought Tanelia was weak. In order to win soldiers had to be placed strategically.

“My scouts noticed that a fraction of Racht’s army is manned by one of our fallen captains. When it comes to dealing with elves, we ask that you leave them to us. After all, the last thing we need is for more dead bodies to be added to our rising threat.” Atrin spoke with mild contempt in his voice. He was not asking for Jaxon’s permission; he was merely stating what everyone thought. They were going to be the ones that brought the elves some peace of mind, not some bloody humans. Humans had caused this problem. While Jaxon and his humans were there to aid them, it still did not change how he felt. The matter of being bait was something that the elves had not addressed right away. Tanelia was out of the question which left her and Atrin on the board. From past experience Saelihn knew that Atrin was not good enough for the job. With their luck, he would mess up and the army would never reach there.

“I can do what I can to have my army lead the elves in Racht’s army towards you. However, if they’re knocking on death’s door, my army should not hesitate regardless of what is coming at them.” Jaxon wasn’t going to step on eggshells mid battle for the elves if it meant the lives of his soldiers. Atrin had free reign to handle the elves, as did Saelihn, however, should any of the soldiers need to defend themselves, he would not stop them. There were more pressing matters than handling certain delicate aspects in battle. 

“We appreciate whatever you can do. In regards to your earlier question, I will draw the army to your little trap. Breaking up the army is a good move. Even though I have some doubts, I will ensure they follow. I just ask that you all be ready to pounce.” Saelihn spoke with confidence despite having some minor doubts.Jaxon nodded to Saelihn. He had no doubts his army would be quite ready to pounce.

“I can come with you to ensure more come.” Atrin looked at Saelihn with eyes that said he was going to keep his earlier promise. Any other time, Saelihn would have invited Atrin to come along. For what she had planned to get their attention, she needed to be alone. Doing so would arouse some suspicion. Thus, she had to be wise about her next words. 

“For this Atrin, you cannot follow. This is something that is not open for debate.” With Atrin taken care of, Saelihn looked towards Jaxon. “I will be taking some of your human archers for sure. I will need roughly twenty of them. Some of Racht’s army is camping along the forest line and we can ambush from there. I need your men that can fire quickly. Of course, during it all they will flood the forest. We are not there to really fight. I will guide your men back to a group of elves that will help provide us support with ranged attack. From there, we will bring them into the trap.” Atrin didn’t like the idea of not being at Saelihn’s side. He had lost one close friend in the past, there was no sense in losing anyone else. If Saelihn thought he would stay silent, she was dead wrong.

“You and a band of twenty plan on getting the army’s attention enough to make this a success.” Atrin did not hide the doubt and slight mocking in his tone. 

“We still have the explosives we took from the army we took down. I plan on using that to make the band of twenty hit like a band of one hundred.” Saelihn knew he was mostly mocking the humans. His words were not going to get her to change her mind. She did not even seem bothered when she spoke back to him.

“You snow elves truly are reckless.” There was nothing else Atrin could say to her. It was clear that Saelihn was not going to change her mind.

Tanelia remained silent as she listened to everything. She was still upset about being left behind. There was no point in arguing. The only thing she could do was think about Saelihn’s plan of attack. They had managed to secure a large number of explosives from Racht’s army. The explosives belonged to a well-known dwarf kingdom. It was hard to say if the dwarves had aided Racht or if it had been stolen from them. Regardless, they now had the material and they could use this to increase their odds. Still, allowing Saelihn to go without Atrin was not something she liked. Arguing with Saelihn was pointless. While she wanted to question how her friend would accomplish such a task, she knew better than that. The look that Saelihn had on her face said that there was more to her plan. 

“I am going to need your fastest men tonight though.” Saelihn continued to speak in a relaxed matter. 

“Tonight?” The surprise in Atrin’s voice did not cause Saelihn’s look to waiver. 

“Like I said, I plan on making twenty men feel like a hundred. Best time to move is when the enemy thinks we are sleeping. We are not going to cause any problems. Just plant the jars and come back.”

“Why not take some elves with you?” It was one thing for Saelihn to move in the morning with humans. To move at night without elves was not something Atrin could ignore. 

“Atrin, you of all elves know if we are going to win, the elves need to be well rested. Besides they may be looking for us, but humans will blend right in.” The enemy knew how wood elves looked, but no one had expected them to work with Jaxon. That bit would be something Saelihn used for their advantage. While most of the enemy was corrupted, elven scouts had said they were not as active at night. If she planned on having her plan work, she needed to be in and out with little risk. It was her goal to fill the forest with traps. In the morning she would use her explosives to keep Racht’s army following her until she got back to the others.

“In that case, you’re taking me.” Jaxon caught the elves by surprise with his response. Before any of them could protest he continued. “If you want the fastest, you’re going to need me.” Jaxon’s fingers fidgeted with the orb around his neck for a moment. “Ivar can handle leading the center while I help you with this distraction. No one outside Gahara’s nobles even know what I look like anyway, so might as well put me to work where I can.” He smirked, eyeing Atrin for a moment before letting his gaze rest back at Saelihn.


	7. BREAK BEFORE NEXT CHAPTERS

Hey everyone, I wanted to post this apology amid the slow chapter posts currently due to my own personal real life situations going on right now. I have not had the time to give this story proper attention. Tiggerluvme as been a rock star at getting some information and chapter portions up to date to help alleviate the mess on my plate right now so shout out to her for being amazing. I will be working on the next chapter/chapters in the coming week or so to try and get at least something out for all of you. Thank you all for being patient while I coordinate my scheduling/hectic life for the time being and I promise, this story will be updated as soon as possible. I know for sure Tiggerluvme and I absolutely adore writing this story and coming up with the world and characters and we love seeing such amazing responses from our readers. There will be no shortage in chapters this I promise you, however this small delay is just a bump in the road until we can knock out some awesome chapters for everyone. I hope everyone is doing well amid the pandemic and stressful real life that has hit everyone during this time and I hope to continue to see readers enjoying our story once we get back up and running. Love you all!


	8. The Battle Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize everyone for the very, very late chapter. 2020, Covid, school, work and moving have all been throwing this household upside down, but hey we made it to the next chapter! Thank you all for being so patient and understanding as we still try to work on the content for this story.

Operating without the elves allowed her a bit more flexibility. What she truly wanted was to be alone tonight. After what Jaxon said, if she would have turned him down in front of others, then people would have become suspicious. It was best that she agreed to allow him to tag along with her. Jaxon did not know what she was, still, she had to be careful. If he saw too much or become curious her cover would be blown. She had to find some type of way to move away from him so that her plan was executed perfectly.

As the men from his kingdom carried the earth-toned clay jugs, Saelihn took the opportunity to move away from the group. She had spoken to Jaxon about having some of his men dig holes in the earth and rest the jugs inside each hole. Before they placed the jugs into the ground, they had to spill some of the liquid onto the earth. In a sense, they were digging shallow trenches that connected to each hole. From her spot in the tree, Saelihn took note of the spiderweb that was being constructed. Unlike the humans, her vision had not changed, and she could tell when someone messed up or was on track. Since everything was on track and Jaxon was preoccupied with his task, Saelihn jumped to another tree and continued progressing through the forest.

She only paused in her tracks when she neared the edge of the forest. From her spot in the trees, she noticed Racht’s army moving around. This was the outer part of his army and from earlier observations, she knew that Racht was not going to be around. These men answered to another captain. From where she was stationed, it was always hard to tell which captain controlled these men. None of that was important, what mattered was ensuring that no one noticed what was going on in the forest.

Rather slowly, Saelihn dropped from the tree and secured her location behind some tree foliage. Instead of standing, she sat on the ground and crossed her legs. As her eyes closed she began to picture the Underdark. Even though the environment around her was pleasant, her body felt a chill rake across her. Whenever she thought of home, her skin always responded in such a way. It was not the cold environment that she cared for. What mattered to her was the darkness. Sunlight was unheard of in the Underdark. Drows had their own way of creating light, but of course too much light caused a fight. While she missed some of those fights, right now she needed to make the area around her darker without giving away that she was up to something.

“Lolth, if I truly have your blessing, then allow me the energy I need to do as I please.”

Saelihn never really cared for Lolth. In the end, she could not deny what she was. Out of all the Drow, she was blessed in some way. While she would not bow down and kiss Lolth’s feet, she did need her energy from time to time. Some days she truly felt as if the energy she found came from her own training and not the goddess that allowed her to be a Szarkai.

As her hands were held together, a dark fog began to roll over her body. It crept over the area around her latching on slowly to everything that it passed. It was not Saelihn’s goal to shroud the complete forest edge in darkness. She only needed to cover the area where Jaxon’s army would be closer to Racht’s camp. It would not muffle out any sound that was made, but it would prevent anyone from being able to see what was causing it. If anyone dared to walk into the darkness, Saelihn would be there to cut them down. With the way she planned things, there would still be some safe distance between where Jaxon’s army was and where the darkness ended.

While she wanted to rush the process, Saelihn stayed focus until she was certain that her job was done correctly. As she tried to stand up, she felt her knees wobble and shook the feeling off. Creating darkness was something a child could do. Covering the amount of distance that she did and ensuring that it was not too dark took a lot of energy. As she rested against a nearby tree, Saelihn took note of the different sounds around her. She could tell that some of the animals from the Underdark were making their way up through the different tunnels in the ground. Whenever a Drow created a vast amount of darkness on the surface, it tended to act like a hunting call for certain animals. What dared to show up was beyond her knowledge and she did not want to stick around and find out. With them making their presence known, Saelihn did not have to truly worry about keeping Jaxon’s army safe.

Using the trees to get back to Jaxon was out of the question. Instead, she stuck to the ground and made haste to ensure that she did not run into anything that was looking for a meal. Thankfully the darkness she created only ran a half a mile across the forest line and went a little over a half a mile inwards. It gave Jaxon’s army some wiggle room, but if she had trained a bit more, she was certain that she could have done more. In Talos, there was a story of a Drow Wizard that covered a battlefield in absolute darkness. Saelihn knew that it was not a lie especially since she knew what male Drows were capable of doing when they put their mind to things.

With each step that she took, Saelihn could feel her exhaustion kicking in. While she wanted to sit down and relax for a little while, there was work that needed to be done. The darkness would not last for long. An hour was pushing it and since she was not there to reinforce the darkness, she was hoping that they would be done sooner than that. Tomorrow was going to be a big day and she needed to build up her energy once more for battle.

Jaxon sighed, wiping the sweat from his dirt-covered brow. He stared at the soldiers on either side of him finishing the manual labor for Saelihn’s plans. He hoisted himself slightly from the deep trench and stared out at the many soldiers far enough in the distance that they wouldn’t know of Jaxon and his soldier’s presence. The problem…would be the scouts. Numerous times they had to duck and cover quietly as scouts had passed. Thankfully, the sky had darkened in such a way that Jaxon could only assume it was due to magic. Saelihn’s magic perhaps, though none of the other soldiers questioned the extra cover, assuming only it to be the night fairing on their side.

It would be dawn in just a few hours and Jaxon had yet to sleep and exhaustion was setting in pretty quickly. His fingers traced the orb around his neck gently as he thought about when he could get rest. The soldiers who had volunteered for this night would be allowed to rest at least for a few hours at their camp, though they would still be needed in battle. Everyone would be vital to do their part in the coming fight against Racht’s army.

When Saelihn came around again, he would have to ask if she could watch over his necklace for him. He hadn’t anticipated showing anyone at all his tricks, though newly learned, they would need to be handled with care. Even though they shared an intimate moment, he still wondered if Saelihn would be a good choice to handle such tricks. This would be his test to her, to protect him in such a vulnerable state, should she succeed then he would know for sure if she would take care at his side, whether in battle or otherwise.

It could also be tactical to do what he did best, gain favor through his sexual attentiveness. No woman prior had refused him after allowing him to freely enjoy their nights together. It gave him an arrogant air of confidence, though the elves were completely new for him. Sex was a key for him in many instances and it had gained him many favors, though Saelihn and the elves seemed different. Immune to the charms of the body as they expressed themselves freely among each other, unlike their human counterparts. Sex in the human kingdom was taboo, shameful if you were not married and even then…the prudish nature of his human kingdom drove Jaxon insane. He couldn’t help but contemplate the effects of his desires once they’re made public. He knew it would only be a matter of time, though he wanted to embrace it with open arms and change the insanity that the human kingdom had against being able to enjoy themselves freely.

“I could smell that your men laced the perimeter with the oil. Make sure the last of the jugs are buried within the hour and we can head back.” Saelihn made sure to hide her exhaustion as she spoke.

A minor chill ran up Jaxon’s spine as he had not heard Saelihn approach until she was standing next to him, acting as if she had been there the entire time. Though his expression didn’t change, he wondered if she noticed the shift in his demeanor that appeared just slightly. He scolded himself for getting lost in his thoughts in such a dangerous place, thankful that it was Saelihn and not an assassin that had appeared. A sideways glance towards Saelihn made Jaxon smirk slightly, almost proud of his ambitions to pursue her. At times like this, when all was quiet for the moment, he could take in the sight and enjoy it.

“Do you have a minute?” He remarked, nodding towards the tree line, away from sight from his soldiers. Saelihn followed as he put them in such a way that his soldiers couldn’t see but they could still observe them working. The quizzical look on Saelihn’s face almost made him chuckle. He wondered if she thought he wanted sexual favors prior to heading back. Instead, he motioned for Saelihn’s hands. He held them together cupped as if to collect rainfall, had there been any. Jaxon slowly removed the necklace from his neck and placed it in her hands.

“With this, Saelihn, I want you to protect this with your life. The importance of this orb is unmatched. No one but you and Valona knows of its existence. I need a rest, and I will be using my magic to get it. However, you will not just be protecting this orb, but my life as I will be inside of it for a time. It will feel like minutes for you, but it will be hours for me once I transfer myself inside. My life will literally be in your hands. Should you wish to end my existence you could, but I want to trust you completely. Keep me safe and I will ensure the victory of this battle.” He smiled down at her, taking in the slight surprise riddled on her face as she stared up at him. He paused for a moment, taking in this chance to lean forward and take her lips against his, only for a moment, pulling away slowly and allowing his thumb to caress her chin. He quickly chanted under his breath, hovering his other hand over the orb, and in a split second, he was gone from her view. All that he had to do now was sleep…and pray that Saelihn didn’t end his life then and there.

With Jaxon gone, Saelihn didn’t know what to think. One second he was standing in front of her jamming information down her throat. Then the next second he was gone completely. Magic did not bother her in any way. What bothered her was the fact that she had to process everything at the last minute and she was tired. Even though she was tired, she knew that running into others was not a good idea. Jaxon had told her that it would only be a few minutes, but that was not something she was used to. Humans and time were all over the place and she knew for a fact that they didn’t mix. She hoped that a few minutes was not an hour or anything. His men would begin to worry, and she did not feel like dealing with his soldiers. People could be rather protective of their king. 

To ensure that no one bothered her, Saelihn moved a bit deeper into the darkness and found a tree to relax underneath. As her back rests against the tree, she began to look over the orb. It looked ordinary and yet she knew that it was more than that. In the Underdark, something like this would fetch her a nice amount of favor or even coins. Her house would possibly even be happy with such a finding. She didn’t care about her house and she didn’t care about those demanding Drows in the Underdark. Keeping information like this was essential to ensuring that her plan remained in motion. 

What she had not planned on was having Jaxon tell her that he trusted her so soon. She was aware that humans could be gullible, but did he really trust her, or was this some game? While sex was amazing, she was certain that it could not have gone to the human’s head. Then again what did she know? It was not like she slept with humans every day. She had grown rather used to wood elves. Still, Jaxon was something else. Even though he was different, it did not mean that she was going to let him weasel himself into any of her feelings. A clear mind was how wars were won. While they were dealing with Racht’s kingdom now, she knew that one day all her information would reach the Underdark. When it did, there would be no telling what the other Drows would do. That was why it was important to keep Jaxon and Tanelia safe. Above all else, she needed for them to get together in some way. The stupid kiss they shared would mean nothing when she got his mind focused on Tanelia. Planning the future could wait until after tomorrow. Right now, she needed to stay focus and think of a way to ensure their victory. 

Jaxon had faith in Saelihn that she would keep him alive. Not just for the outcome of the battle but killing him now would lead to a lot of suspicion and blame, and Saelihn did not seem the type for such matters. She already seemed to Jaxon as someone who handled everything with care and tactical prowess. She was no ordinary woman; she was far more brilliant than anyone credited her for, and Jaxon couldn’t help but wonder if that was intentional on her part. Sex was not the only thing Jaxon was good at, he is usually a good judge of character even in the most questionable situations. With his hope that Saelihn wouldn’t kill him in his sleep, Jaxon drifted off, desperately needing his rest before heading into battle.

The world around him was dark…what was this? Jaxon looked around in the darkness but saw nothing. This oddly familiar feeling crept unto his skin as he was waiting for a voice or a touch. Nothing, just emptiness…followed by immediate searing pain. Jaxon rested his hand against his gut feeling a warmth against his skin. His fingertips twitched as he felt the liquid pool and drip to the floor. Was he bleeding? Jaxon strained to see what was happening as he gritted his teeth and kneeled onto the floor.

A dim light in the distance made Jaxon’s gut turn with nerves. The slow clacking of heeled shoes sounded in an echo as he fell to the floor, gripping his wound and crying out. What was happening to him? Where was he? A fear struck him momentarily…was this Saelihn’s doing? Did she betray him?

“Jaxon…my darling boy.” A woman’s voice cooed. His eyes shot open in surprise. Was this his mother?

“Who…”

“Shh…dear boy, don’t fight the pain.” A hand caressed his hair gently. “Let the pain consume you, then you can be at my side son…” Jaxon let out a guttural yell as the pain worsened.

“You’re a fucking demon…” He growled through his clenched teeth, gaining nothing but laughter from his mother.

“You are a demon yourself boy, don’t fight it. Allow it to consume you. Rule the world for me Jaxon, show the world the power of your demonic lineage. Your true power mixed with the blood of the Coventry line; you will be unstoppable my son. The one true Demon King meant to rule overall.”

“Fuck you woman…I’ll rule over everyone…without succumbing to your worthless demonic blood.”

“You dare talk down about the blood that courses through your veins? Lest you forget boy, you are a demon whether you want to be or not. The power will come forward eventually. Fighting is only going to delay the inevitable. Enjoy your humanity for now Jaxon…but you will take your place one day, of that I swear.”

Jaxon snapped awake with a start, staring around the contents inside the orb. He was alive…so that had just been a dream. He sighed loudly, grabbing a nearby cloth and dampening it enough to wipe the dirt and sweat from his face. He was going to enjoy that bath back at the Elven Kingdom once this battle was over. Once he finished, he waved his hand and chanted, appearing again before Saelihn. She was leaning in the tree, the orb still sitting in her hand. A smile appeared on Jaxon’s face as he caught her by surprise.

“It looks like I owe you big time. Thanks for watching over me.” As she tried to hand Jaxon the necklace back, he shook his head, pushing her hand closed and towards her. “Do me a favor and keep an eye on that for me. Should I fall in battle, I would rather the Coventry line and secrets be in your hands.” Her quizzical stare made Jaxon laugh. He didn’t want to necessarily tell her of his dream but part of him wondered if it was a premonition of sorts. His smile faded as the ghost of the dream haunted his face slightly. “If I die in battle, keep that safe away from everyone. It has every detail of the Coventry line from family lineage to how we attained our magic and many, many secrets even you wouldn’t know about. I trust you will keep it safe.”

Humans and their trust were truly an interesting thing to deal with. While she was touched by his words, she saw the need to knock some much-needed sense into his head. 

“Anyone that speaks of falling battle will surely die. I know that you humans like to look at all sides, but it is best never to voice such things out loud. After all, there is no telling how much magic is around us. Racht’s army is connected with magical darkness that none truly understands, and maybe negative thoughts are what a spell may need to work.”

There were spells like that in the Underdark, but only skilled Drows knew how to use such things. Stories of success by such a means were rare and few. While she was sure that nothing like that would happen, she was still going to keep him on his toes. To ensure that he understood her, Saelihn moved closer to him. Her free hand traveled up his arm until her finger was able to caress his jawline. 

“You asked me to help you further your bloodline and that is the only thing that sounds rather appealing to me.” She brought his orb up so that they both could look at it. “Something like this holds no real importance to me. I understand the value, but the value is something that changes in the eye of the beholder. I value what I see when I think of the future while you see the value in this. Since it holds some sway over the future, I shall keep it safe for you.”

Saelihn tucked the orb away into her cleavage and brought Jaxon’s eyes back up to her own. 

“You will not die until you have fathered many offspring. I will make it my duty to watch over each of them until I am unable to. The future cannot be addressed until our promised victory. I can assure you Jaxon if you thought what we did before was fun, you should see me after I have bathed in the blood of our enemies.” Saelihn had leaned in as if she was going to kiss him only to pull back at the last second. “How about we get your men the sleep they need. Then maybe you fill me in on this hidden information.”

Jaxon bit the inside of his lip, refraining from allowing the stupid grin about to spread across his face. It may have only been a few days of knowing her and the others, but his reality didn’t allow him to move slowly. She was certain of his fate in the battle to come, however, Jaxon was still uneasy, though he would never admit it. He watched through amused eyes as Saelihn confidently walked ahead as the men were finishing the trenches.

Time passed rather quickly. The trenches were set, and it would be a matter of time before Racht and his army were treading through the edges of the forest. Jaxon sat atop his horse, staring out at the empty field in front of him. His jaw clenched tight as he tried to focus on what was to come, not daring to turn and look around him, knowing full well the army surrounding him was full of unease. Just days prior their King had died and here was the so-called heir to the throne, the bastard son no one heard of, a blacksmith no less, leading them into battle.

Jaxon wasn’t oblivious to the whispers in his troupes. Even in training, many whispers spread as they watched him repeatedly get knocked down and learn new techniques. Who in their right mind learns these things in just days? No human, that is for sure. Jaxon’s fingers brushed the spot where his orb would have been, causing him to realize the events from the middle of the night and almost smile at the thought. He caught himself quickly and put his hand back down on the horse, clenching his jaw tighter. None of his soldiers knew of his abilities, and now only Saelihn and Valona knew some of his secrets. Valona knew most of them, but the more he thought about Saelihn, he could only hope that after all was said and done this day, that she would begin to trust him.

Demon blood or not, Jaxon couldn’t afford to question his abilities. Between his constant training in the orb’s vast space and the ability to work for what felt like weeks or even months, only consisted of minutes in the real world. He was training, he was learning, and he was determined to lead these people both human and elf alike that stood by his side. He was far from ready to lead a kingdom and an army, but he was thrown into an unreal situation, and given amazing abilities, he would be stupid to squander it.

Tanelia had barely gotten any sleep. She should have been tired and yet she was far from it. Maybe the thrill of battle caused her to feel awake. Or maybe it was the chance to finally right the wrongs that had been done in the past. She had been weak, despite what the others had said. If she had been stronger then Llewel would still be alive. There was no way that she was going to stand back while the others got to do as they saw fit. There had to be a way for her to stand beside Saelihn and Atrin.

“This is as far as you go.” Saelihn stopped her horse in front of Tanelia. Saelihn did not care for the look that Tanelia was giving her. She had a plan laid out and everyone had a part to play. After what happened last time, Saelihn was not going to risk Tanelia’s life.

“Queen Yepha made me a captain. I need to be out front with the rest of our army.” Tanelia had tried to move her horse but stopped when Atrin moved beside her.

“As much as I enjoy seeing your lovely face, it is best if a captain stays back with the others. You are one of our top archers and they will need you.” Atrin tried to soothe Tanelia despite the look she was giving him.

“Let me guess, you all came up with this plan while you were in each other’s arm last night.” Tanelia didn’t care if others were looking at them. Everyone knew how both of them acted.

“How the plan was reached is of no concern. What matters is that you stick to the plan, do I make myself clear.” Saelihn’s tone said that she was not in the mood to be challenged.

“I am a captain.” Tanelia voice rose slightly, without allowing her emotions to make her seem weak.

“You may be a captain Tanelia but out here we still outrank you. You are wet behind the ears and a weak link. Llewel was kind enough to die for you, no one else will do such a thing. Stay back with the others and ensure that Jaxon’s army, along with our army is well protected.”

Tanelia looked to Atrin for some form of support. The look that he gave her said that she would receive no help. To be considered weak was an insult, but to say that she would be the cause of another death was a low blow. She would never do anything that would harm another elf or human. After Llewel’s death, she had trained hard to ensure such a thing never happened again. Atrin had told her before she had progressed and now it seemed like he was taking it back. To have both of them look down on her in such a way was not something she needed.

Slowly Tanelia grabbed her gear and made her way towards a tree. “May the gods keep you well protected.”

Tanelia watched as the two rode off without her. While a bit of her wanted to cry, Tanelia forced herself to remain strong. She was a captain and the others would need her strength if they were to survive this ordeal.

“Have your arrows ready. Remember one miss can cost us the life of a friend or an ally.” Tanelia gripped her bow and watched as Saelihn and Atrin neared their respected spots.

Not once after they departed had Saelihn bothered to turn around and look at Tanelia. Her words were harsh, but they were true. Even if the truth was laced with a hidden motive, it was still best for Tanelia to stay behind.

While she had blamed Tanelia’s weakness for Llewel’s death, that was not the full truth. Llewel had gone back to aid Tanelia, but that was only because Saelihn had pointed it out. She could have used a spell to save Tanelia and yet she had not. Keeping her identity as a Drow hidden meant more to her than her strong interest in Llewel. No one needed to know that, and no one ever would.

“Don’t’ you think that you were a bit too harsh on her. The Queen said she would be a great assist to us and yet you treat her like an elf child. Do you think you know more than the Queen?” Atrin did not bother to hold his tongue as he spoke.

“I don’t claim to know more than your Queen. Yepha never said that she had to be on the front lines with us. Besides out of the three of us, is she not better to command the archers?” Saelihn saw fit to correct Atrin’s thinking without arguing with him.

“I do believe that she is better, but we have archers with us as well.”

“We do have archers with us, but that does not mean that she has a right to be up here. The forest line is our last defense. Don’t you think that elves will need someone to build their spirits up when things are looking grim?”

“Tanelia is known for her motivational talks. Sometimes good spirits are not enough, and the others need a firm voice to snap them back.”

“If you think that one of us would be better, then I will gladly bring Tanelia forward. Remember that while she has made some form of progress, it does not mean she is ready for what is ahead. If you have faith in your gods then maybe she will keep air in your lungs instead of me.” Saelihn had started to turn her horse only to be stopped.

“She is serving our kingdom well in the forest. Besides I rather like when you are coated in the blood of our enemies.”

Saelihn had thought of teasing him, but the sound of hoofbeats in the distance brought an end to their conversation. Racht’s army would soon be making their presence known. The time for talking was over, soon they would get to spill the blood of their enemies.

As Jaxon sat atop the horse, minutes feeling like hours, he couldn’t help but think of his mother and sister and the deaths they endured. Would they be proud of him? Would they be okay that he left his father alone to work the forge while he took up the helm of the kingdom? The whole situation made him uneasy. Regardless that they were not his blood relation, they were his family nonetheless and there was no other time that he could think of other than this moment, sitting atop the horse, that he felt more alone. That is why he needed to defeat Racht and his armies and take down his necromancer. It would be the doorway to opening a new life for him, the new exciting life that would be awaiting him as King.

The rumbling of galloping horses in the distance finally broke Jaxon’s train of thoughts, bringing him back to the task in front of him. The time was now, they were all there to fight to the death to protect the two kingdoms from utter insanity. The pit in Jaxon’s stomach knotted tight as the horses rounded the corner of the forest’s clearing. He nodded once and on cue the trenches that had been dug all night had been put to use. Explosions set off, causing even the ground to crack in some places. Though that was to be expected as the entrance to the clearing and part of the forest-lined right against a steep ravine.

Blood-curdling screams sounded through the chaos, but this was not Jaxon’s men. No this was the infantry in Racht’s army getting blown to pieces and most getting pulled into the ravine below from the crumbling earth. Jaxon nodded again as Racht’s armies proceeded to try and push through the forest’s edge only to be met with more explosions from the closer trenches and well-placed archer arrows from the elves. Racht’s army was losing numbers quickly, causing a glimmer of hope to fill in Jaxon.

Saelihn could not help but smile as her plan was put into motion. She was sure that there were limbs hanging from trees. Blood was sure to have mixed with the dirt causing the trees to be painted a reddish-brown. She truly loved fighting and was eager to plunge her sword into a human.

While Saelihn sat ready to attack, Tanelia felt her stomach turn. She hated killing people, but this was necessary. It was important to protect their lands and Jaxon’s kingdom. As she looked ahead, Tanelia knew that she could not sit back. No matter what Saelihn liked to say, she had placed her on babysitting duty. While she was new to being a captain, Tanelia knew where she would serve best.

“Jonik I leave you in charge. Remember to hold the line until your dying breath.”

A low whistle summoned her horse. As it moved under her tree branch, Tanelia dropped onto its back with ease. Her eyes searched the battle friend for her fellow captains. Every so often she had to avert her eyes from limbs that decorated the field. There was no time to feel anxious or sick, she had to keep a clear mind to ensure she made little to no mistakes.

Tanelia noticed the disapproving look that Saelihn was giving her. Before Atrin or Saelihn could open their mouths, the ominous feeling forced the captains to return their gazes to the battlefield. Dark magic flowed around them and the elves hoped that their human allies would not break under the pressure.

The hope would not last, however, and just as Jaxon’s army readied their swords, the dead soldiers who were left rose back to their feet. Many of them had half-faces, jaws completely missing altogether, legs shattered or parts of their torso missing. However, it was no mistake that the glazed blueish white hue that shone brightly in these fresh corpse eyes proved that the necromancer at Racht’s side had vast amounts of power to control as many dead as was being witnessed. Jaxon knew there was more undead to come, and this would just be the start.

“Let them have it!” Jaxon yelled, pointing his sword forward and kicking his horse to an immediate gallop. It was time for his men to take down the undead, and thanks to the elves, many were falling with plenty of fire arrows, burning them quickly to ashes. It was like dragon fire, incinerating each undead body that the arrows hit, taking them down with ease.

Tanelia fired her arrow into an advancing being. The feeling that was washing over her made concentrating a bit difficult. She could not lose her focus, for fear that the past would repeat itself. While she fought to control her emotions, the sight of Jaxon helped stabilize her a bit. There was more on the line than before and she could not risk messing up. The idea of humans suffering because of her was out of the question.

“If you cannot focus then it is best you return to the forest.” Saelihn removed the remains of the soldier’s head with ease.

These beings were not human anymore and even if they were, Saelihn would have still done the same. While she taunted Tanelia, she did note the look on Tanelia’s face. She was aware that wood elves had a close connection with nature and despised dark magic. As a Drow, the dark magic did not bother her as much. Necromancy reminded her of Kiaransalee’s worshippers. They were a bunch of low life Drows in her opinion, and killing these reanimated humans made her feel as if she was spitting in the low god’s face. Despite how she felt, she was certain that a war was raging in Tanelia’s body. Not knowing what was going on in Tanelia’s mind made Saelihn wish the elf was elsewhere.

“I am not a child. I can take care of myself.” Tanelia snatched an arrow out of a fallen human’s skull.

“No need to be testy.” Saelihn plunged her blade through the back of a soldier’s neck. Even if he did not choke on his own blood, it was still nice to see it stain her blade.

As she spoke to Tanelia, her attention shifted towards those around them. Something did not feel right. This nagging feeling made her want to send Tanelia back. Barking orders would get her nowhere. She needed to play things safely to ensure that both of them kept their lives.

It was then that Jaxon realized what the undead was being used for; they were to tire out the men and resources. He watched as his men struck down the corpses with no issue, as if they smacked an empty bag of bones, each collapsing one by one. The pit in Jaxon’s stomach fell again as he turned around to face the army at his back, much of which was now separated from their original formation.

“It’s a trap!” He yelled out, though it was too late. The distance that had been created between the archers and the infantry of his army was blown back by an enormous explosion. But rather than heat that sprung in the middle of his army, the stench of death washed over the field with immense power, causing quite a few to empty their stomachs immediately.

Jaxon’s eyes glanced towards Valona who stood with widened eyes at the sight in front of her. His eyes traveled to Saelihn, and not that he should be surprised, she stood glaring daggers at the sight, her cold gaze unwavering. His eyes moved to Tanelia and the horror spread across her face clear as day. They all were witnessing the disgusting abomination that rose from the ground, taller than a castle, and smelling as if he just crawled out of the decayed mass grave of an entire kingdom or two. The creature looked patched together almost, most of its skin looking as if he was comprised of thousands of different bodies. The guttural growl of the creature caused the entire earth to shake violently, throwing Jaxon from his horse and landing him in the pools of blood that fell from the creature’s mouth.

Tanelia wanted more than ever to rush to his side. Reacting on emotions was how people got killed. She had to trust that Jaxon would be fine. While she wanted to focus on Jaxon, the aura radiating off of the creature was hard to ignore. Masked under the sinister feeling was an agony that she had never felt before. With some many reanimated corpses around them, Tanelia was certain that she should have felt this before. She had not and this new feeling left her feeling sick.

“Tanelia?” Saelihn had spoken with mild concern in her voice.

“Focus on Jaxon. I am fine.” Tanelia forced her breathing to steady. She needed to focus for the sake of all those around her.

“If you are not feeling well, then use this opening to return to the forest.” Saelihn knew that sounding harsh would only cause problems.

“I am a captain, not a soldier. I will stay where I please. While I know you are concerned, please ensure that Jaxon is fine.” Tanelia kept her eyes glued on Jaxon, watching his every move to ensure that he did not need any help.

“Don’t worry about that human, he is not as fragile as some assume.” Saelihn did not bother to look towards Jaxon as she noted his movement.

Jaxon grimaced as he pulled himself to his feet and gathered his bearings. With Racht’s armies closing in at his back and the creature in front of him, things were looking grimmer as the time passed. Jaxon took a deep breath, gathering the white-hot light to his fingertips, building the fire pressure as he focused all of his concentration as much as he could as he watched the arrows of the archers’ fly. The ground beneath the creature began to crumble violently as if the earth couldn’t hold onto the weight of the creature as it began to swing its arms, many soldiers getting flung into the ravine behind Jaxon. Valona’s screaming of his name made Jaxon realize this was her doing as the creature began to lose its balance and land on its knee; the bones pushing through the patched skin of the creature as easily as paper ripping. This did not stop the creature in the slightest, it didn’t even seem to notice the bones push through either.

Jaxon growled, flinging the white fire forward and setting the creature ablaze in such a powerful explosion, the trees at the edge of the clearing had begun uprooting. It even took many of the soldiers off their feet and knocked them back a good way away. Jaxon hadn’t realized his power until that moment. He had practically vaporized the creature in one blow causing him to pant heavily at the amount of power that he had concentrated at that moment.

“Solonor be praised, the human is not as worthless as we assumed.” Atrin could not hide the surprise in his voice.

“It seems like Jaxon may have won over more than our army.” Saelihn gestured towards Tanelia, who held a please look on her face.

“Before this battle ends, she will look upon me with great favor.” Atrin jealous nature consumed him once more. Magic was nothing new to elves and he was not going to put his faith in a human for one great act. 

“Your Majesty!” One of the soldiers panted running up to Jaxon in amazement. “All hail the King!” The soldier cried out catching a lot of his own soldiers to do the same. Jaxon shook his head and quieted them quickly.

“We’re far from done here, focus on this battle. We will not win if you let my power distract you.” Jaxon hadn’t realized his own power, and now that he had laid waste to the creature that had tried to separate his army, it seemed also as if the elves had formed newfound respect for him as well. Though Jaxon was too busy to notice the admiration of the elves, it had not gone unnoticed by Valona and his General as they stared around at the awe-filled and hopeful faces that beamed with pride.

The battle was far from over, but this little win gave his troops and the elves time to regroup for a moment and tend to the injured. The next wave would not be this easy, of that Jaxon was certain. He could only hope that he hadn’t used up much of his power for that one blow. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve depending on what he would face next, but for now, all he could do was wait and hope that their anticipations for this battle would be correct.

Tanelia moved her horse close to Jaxon and wasted no time in dismounting. With the creature dead, her mind felt at ease. She knew that with this battle being far from over, there was no telling what would happen. None of that mattered, what mattered was checking on Jaxon.

“I have never known a human to wield such magic.”

Without thinking her hands traveled up to his face. As her fingers touched his face, a pale green light surrounded her hands. She knew that his wounds were not serious, but she wanted to ensure that he was ready for what was coming next.

Jaxon was taken back at first, but the warmth of her hands made him feel immediately at ease. He let a small smile spread across his lips as his eyes stayed fixated on hers.

“So, this is why you abandoned the forest.” Saelihn rubbed the blood off on the side of her boot.

“No, I made a promise that I plan on keeping.” A light blush crossed Tanelia’s face, but she pushed it away quickly.

“I am sure he is healed now, so you can remove your hands,” Saelihn spoke in a calm voice ensuring that no one assumed that she was jealous. Without even trying, her web was being spun around the two rather nicely.

Tanelia pulled her hand away from him slowly and offered Jaxon a warm smile. In an attempt to stay focus she turned to face Saelihn. “Where is Atrin?”

“Atrin has moved to check on the others. We need to ensure that every elf is ready for what comes next.” Saelihn looked towards Tanelia’s quiver. “It seems that you are in need of a few more arrows. Unless of course, you want to use a sword?”

“My arrows are just fine. I’ll just go and find some arrows.”

Just as Tanelia turned to move, Saelihn grabbed onto her arm. 

“Atrin is retrieving more arrows for you. It is best if you stay and hear our next plan of attack since you are not returning to the forest.” Saelihn released her grip and looked back towards Jaxon. “How would you like to use the elven army now?”

Saelihn was rather curious to know what else he could do. As she had told him before, the orb tucked away in her cleavage was useless to her. The more Jaxon showed her, the more she knew that staying by his side was the best move for her.

“Now...” Jaxon pulled himself from the small happy moment he was having, glancing over at the oncoming horde of Racht’s army drawing itself closer. “We need to be strategic. They were testing us, and we gave away a good chunk of what we could do. We need your best and sneakiest soldiers ready, my soldiers will take the brunt of the next attack, but we need to close them in. This clearing is the only thing continuously giving us the advantage. Keep pulling them in bit by bit until they’ve had enough. Once we dwindle them down a bit more, then the real battle begins.” Jaxon didn’t want to admit it, but every solemn face spoke the same feeling that ached in his chest. Until that necromancer was dead, this battle would be far from over. He just hoped that by the time they would see Racht and his necromancer, that they all would still be good to continue fighting. As of right now, the only thing Jaxon could go on was hope; and the next wave was going to determine how much of that hope he had left.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this story, please leave feedback whether good or negative so I can continuously improve! This is an original story of my own and I would love to see how everyone feels about it as I continue to draw out the world and characters surrounding! I hope you enjoy and come back for more!


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